Man stripped and covered his body in butter to evade gardaí
A man who covered his body in butter in order to evade two gardaí before trying to stab them has had his case adjourned at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court.
Michael Rooney (aged 34) of O'Connell's Avenue, Listowel pleaded guilty of two counts of threatening to kill two gardaí, Sergeant Tim O'Keeffe and Garda Colm McCarthy at the address on October 20 last year.
He also admitted to producing a weapon during the course of the incident.
Tralee Circuit Criminal Court heard that gardaí were called to a report of a domestic incident during which Mr Rooney, who lives with his girlfriend and two sons, became violent and had smashed two televisions; one with his hand and the other with a laptop.
He had consumed around eight cans of lager and was on anti-depressant medication.
Before gardaí arrived, Mr Rooney took off his clothes and covered his head, arms and torso in butter as he had seen it in a 2008 movie where the character used butter to make it difficult to be caught by prison officers.
He also armed himself with a 14-inch kitchen knife, which he used three times to try and stab Sergeant Tim O'Keeffe, who said he was genuinely afraid.
The sergeant eventually managed to subdue the accused with pepper spray but it was difficult to put on handcuffs due to the butter.
Shortly after the incident Mr Rooney, who is unemployed, wrote a letter to both gardaí apologising, adding he was embarrassed by his actions which was a fit of pure rage.
Sergeant O'Keeffe agreed it had been a Jekyll-and-Hyde situation and the accused had been a different person on the night of the incident.
Judge Tom O'Donnell adjourned the case for 12 months and said he was keeping all options open adding the State or Sergeant O'Keeffe can seek to have the case re-entered at any time or place on the south west circuit.
