An Athlone man pleading not guilty to two charges of threatening to kill a female AIT student and her boyfriend was handed his book of evidence in the District Court this week (November 10 ) and ordered to face trial in the Mullingar Circuit Court, sitting in Tullamore, on November 30.
Stephen O’Reilly (21 ), with addresses at Elmworth Court, Belhavel; and Thornbury Drive, Willow Park, Athlone is charged with threatening to kill the student sister of Limerick gangland victim Roy Collins because he would allegedly “get good money from Wayne Dundon”, and her boyfriend, on April 12.
O’Reilly is alleged to have seen the male injured party near Beechpark on the day in question and gave chase from a passing car, allegedly stealing a bag of shopping worth €180 that was dropped in the chase. Later that day, he is alleged to have phoned the female victim and tell her that “he’d kill her and cut her up and that he’d get good money from Wayne Dundon for that”.
In court this week O’Reilly formally pleaded not guilty to two counts of threatening to kill or cause serious harm, contrary to Section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, and was handed his copy of the book of evidence by Garda Michael Ryan. The maximum penalty for a Section 5 offence if found guilty by a jury in the Circuit Court is 10 years imprisonment.
Also in court this week, Judge Mary Devins gave O’Reilly his formal alibi warning, that, if he chooses to rely on one in his defence in the Circuit Court, he must give the State two weeks notice of his intention to do so.
Gardai did not object to bail, however Judge Devins did object to granting legal aid for a barrister without O’Reilly’s solicitor submitting a formal statement of means on behalf of his client. This requirement was deferred until his appearance in the Circuit Court.
The hearing for the theft and two other outstanding public order charges was adjourned until February 2, 2011.
