Limerick court hears defendant was 'extremely violent' to gardai

KILMALLOCK is a growing town with very few guards, said Superintendent William Duane during a case at the local court.

Anthony Relihan, aged 24, of Connolly Avenue, Mallow, was charged with threatening, abusive, insulting behaviour; failure to comply with gardai and obstructing a peace officer.

Supt Duane said gardai were called to an incident in Kilmallock at 6pm on April 28, 2016.

“The defendant was trying to obstruct gardai who were dealing with an incident in relation to his girlfriend. He kept threatening gardai. He said he was ‘going to do them’. When they were trying to arrest him a scuffle broke out. He was extremely violent and had to be forcibly restrained,” said Supt Duane, who added that Relihan has 24 previous convictions.

Cathal Lombard, solicitor for Relihan, said his client had a lot of difficulties in his late teens and early twenties.

“His father was never in his life and he left school early. He has two young children. He had addiction issues and is dealing with them. He appreciates he has a bad record,” said Mr Lombard.

Supt Duane said Kilmallock is a growing town with very few guards and incidents like this were “very difficult to deal with”.

Judge Marian O’Leary put the case back for six months and asked for a garda progress report.

She will sentence Relihan on December 19.