A man has been found not guilty of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a detective garda in Limerick, but convicted of possessing drugs and resisting the same garda when he was executing his lawful duties.
Kieran “Bunny” Barry (51), of Galvone Road, Kennedy Park, Limerick, had denied threatening to kill or seriously harm Det Gda Dean Landers on May 3rd, 2019.
A jury found Mr Barry not guilty of making the threat by a majority of 10 to two.
The jury had on Tuesday acquitted Barry of possession of cannabis for sale or supply, but found him guilty of possessing cannabis on the same date. He was also found guilty of resisting Det Gda Landers in executing his lawful duties on the same night.
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Det Gda Landers gave evidence that he was concerned for himself and his family at the time, alleging that Barry had threatened to kill him, his children and his mother and he 100 per cent believed him. He and a colleague had responded to a call of a disturbance outside Barry’s home, when he alleged the accused became abusive and asked him to fight.
He said Barry told him he knew where he lived and was “going to give me a slow death and that he would give my kids an even slower one”.
When more gardaí arrived at the scene, Barry ran into his home, locked the front door and fled through the rear of the property, the court heard. He was later seen sitting on a couch in the front livingroom of his home and gardaí entered and arrested him.
Det Gda Landers disagreed under cross examination by Mr Barry’s barristers, Andrew Sexton SC and Amy Nix BL, instructed by solicitor Sarah Ryan, that gardaí had “beaten” and “dragged” Barry out of his house while he was being arrested, as the accused had claimed.
Following his arrest, Barry told gardaí in interview that he “had words” with Det Gda Landers and had asked him to fight, but he denied making threats against him and his family.
Barry was remanded into custody to appear before Limerick Circuit Court for sentencing on drugs possession and resisting gardaí charges next Monday.
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