By Gordon Deegan
A 68-year-old south Co. Galway farmer produced a slash hook at a graveyard and told an 81-year-old man “I’m going to cut the f**king head off you” in a row over burial plots, a court has heard.
At Gort District Court today, Thursday, May 28, the farmer (and graveyard owner), from the Gort area, pleaded guilty to the assault of another man at the graveyard in the Kinvara area on October 1 last.
He also pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting words with the intention to cause a breach of the peace at the graveyard.
Outlining what occurred, Sgt Cronin stated that the victim and his friends were in the graveyard where they were carrying out remedial works when they were approached by the farmer who alleged they were trespassing.
Sergeant Cronin stated that “there had been an ongoing dispute with [the two men] and other people in relation to burial plots at the graveyard.”
Solicitor for the defendant, Colman Sherry, told the court: “In cases like this, the less said the better. There is history and suffice to say there are very few burial plots left.”
Sergeant Cronin told the court that the defendant told the victim: “I’m going to cut the f**king head off you.”
Judge Durcan commented: “This is a very serious matter – and all of this occurred on consecrated ground.”
The judge added that the evidence he heard was that the defendant had a slash hook in his hand during the confrontation. Sergeant Cronin stated that what occurred was a technical assault and it was all over within a matter of seconds.
Mr. Sherry stated: “[The defendant] was holding the blade and [the victim] caught the handle of it and the matter was over in seconds.”
The victim subsequently went to a local Garda station to state that he had been assaulted.
Mr. Sherry stated that the defendant owns the graveyard and that it is not under the control of Galway County Council. He told the court that his client “has looked after this graveyard all his life”.
Mr. Sherry stated that the chances of his client re-offending “are nil”.
In response, Judge Durcan said: “I believe that this is a case that should be resolved. We don’t want divided communities. We don’t want victors and vanquished.”
Judge Durcan struck out the weapon charge and stated that he would adjourn the case concerning the two guilty pleas to June 25 to allow the victim – who wasn’t in court today – to give victim impact evidence.