Man to be sentenced for threatening rape and murder of gardaí

“I'll put a transmitter under your car and boom. Two pineapples, throw them in your window, get six rounds into your head. Bye, bye,” he told the garda.

Delaney of Walkinstown Crescent, Walkinstown was found unanimously guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of two threats to kill Garda Amanda King on January 20, 2010 at garda stations in Santry and the Bridewell.

He was also convicted unanimously of threatening to kill Garda Patrick Whelan on the same date at the Bridewell Garda Station.

Delaney was further found guilty of failing to produce a driving licence and driving without insurance on the same date in Applewood Village, Swords. He had denied all charges.

Garda Ciarán McGill told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting that Gda King was on duty in a marked patrol car when she saw a car stopped in the middle of the road with no lights on.

The driver was revving the car to its maximum, and identified himself as Delaney.

Gda King noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and he smelled strongly of spirits.

He told her he had been drinking and made a number of lewd comments towards her, but she just took them to be “drunk talk”.

Gardaí said Delaney became difficult to deal with and aggressive in the back of the garda car and had to be physically restrained.

He said to Gda King, “I'll be waiting for you after work some night when you're not expecting it. What are you going to do when the boys aren't around to protect you? I'll get you then.”

Delaney said he would rape Gda King and “take a bullet” to her, and she became worried that the threats could be serious.

When Delaney was brought to Santry Garda Station he refused to provide a breath sample and kept up with the threats, telling Gda King he would find out her car details and follow her home sometime after work.

“I'll wait outside the station and follow you. Mark my words bitch, you're going to fucking die screaming, bye bye,” he said.

Gda King said at this stage she was terrified, afraid for her life and trembling.

Delaney also threatened Gda Phelan, saying he knew where he lived and he would come to his house and shoot him, and blow up his house with all his family inside.

Delaney claimed he was “well-connected” to criminal gangs in Crumlin and that it would be easy for him to gets his hands on a bomb and have Gda Phelan “done in”.

He also said, “Don't come home crying to me when I have your sister screaming,” which Gda Phelan took as a direct threat to his family.

The court heard that Gda Phelan changed his route home from work after this because he was afraid of the threats.

When Delaney was being moved to a holding cell in the Bridewell, he again threatened Gda King.

“I will get you for this, I will take you out with one bullet. I will make you pain and suffer and hurt before the bullet. I'll be waiting for you in Swords, I'll take five bullets out there some night and take all five of you bastards out,” he said.

Gda King was very afraid on her way home that night and said she was questioning her career in the gardaí as she had never before been threatened like that.

Delaney has three previous convictions, all for drugs offences, and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2001.

William Cleary BL, defending, said his client accepts the verdict of the jury and wished to convey his apologies to the guards involved.

He referred to a psychiatric report given to the court and said Delaney had had an “extreme burst of anger” as he felt humiliated and was highly intoxicated at the time.

The court heard that Delaney has a history of substance abuse, particularly alcohol.

Mr Cleary said the father-of-one has been very proactive in custody and is looking into getting anger management treatment.

Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the case for sentencing on April 4 and ordered a probation and welfare report to be prepared.