A Kerry man who attacked and threatened to “slice up” a woman he met on Facebook has been sentenced to three years in jail, with the final six months suspended.
43-year-old Neilus Cooney of Strand Street, Tralee, also threatened to kill two gardaí who came to the woman’s assistance, after she managed to flee her apartment and phone for help, a court has heard.
Neilus Cooney was wielding two scissors while he threatened a sergeant from the emergency response unit, who arrived after the first garda on the scene requested armed backup.
The incident happened at the victim’s apartment in Grattan Wood, Balbriggan, Dublin 13 on August 9th 2022.
Neilus Cooney had travelled by train from Tralee that day and met the victim at Heuston Station, having met on Facebook six months previously; they had met in person three or four times between.
He pleaded guilty to assaulting this woman, causing her harm, and also threatening to kill her.
He further admitted threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Garda Patrick Griffin on the same occasion.
Three other counts were taken into consideration, including threatening to kill Sergeant Christopher O’Shaughnessy, producing an article, and causing criminal damage to the woman's phone.
Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, Judge Orla Crowe set a headline sentence of four years for what she described as a completely unprovoked, sustained attack on a woman in her own home.
She said this was a man the victim thought she could trust, and these were gardaí who were responding to an emergency call in the course of their duties.
The judge said a chilling feature of Neilus Cooney’s extraordinarily threatening behaviour was that his threats to cut up and slice the victims were credible, because he was wielding scissors at the time.
Neilus Cooney also threatened to “put a bullet” in a sergeant, while pretending to hide a firearm behind his back, the court heard.
Judge Crowe took into account mitigating factors, including Neilus Cooney’s significant medical issues, his remorse, and his early plea.
She sentenced him to three years in prison with the final six months suspended.
She ordered that Cooney keep the peace and undergo probation supervision for one year on release, and attend such addiction services as prescribed by probation.
