Tipperary man found guilty of threatening teenage girl at school gate

A Littleton man has been found guilty of threatening a teenage girl at a school in 2021 at Thurles District Court.

Martin Foley (43) of Ballybeg, Littleton, Thurles, was charged with making a threat to cause serious harm contrary to Section Five of the Non-fatal Acts Against the Person Act, 1997, at Our Lady’s Secondary School Templemore on April 22, 2021.

Mr Foley did not appear on the day of his hearing, but it is understood from garda evidence and his solicitor’s questions that he denies the charge.

SCHOOL DAY

Charlotte Moran told the court that on the day of the incident, she was walking into the school entrance when the defendant approached her, calling her names and shouting for her to ringher brother.

She said the defendant told her he would beat and stab her brother, hit her and then come to her house and burn it down while her family slept inside.

Ms Moran, who was 17 at the time of the incident, said the defendant called her a “whore,” a “prostitute” and said that she smelled.

“I was terrified. I was scared,” said Ms Moran.

Ms Moran told the court that her teacher came out and escorted her inside the building, and she told him what had happened and later made a statement to the gardaí .

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Mr Paddy Cadell asked Ms Moran how she reacted to beingshouted at and if she had stabbed the defendant’s son with a screwdriver the day before.

Ms Moran admitted to shouting at the defendant in response but said she did not stab his son.

RAISED VOICES

Mr Joe Gallagher, a PE teacher at the school, gave evidence that on the day of the incident, he was inside the school when he heard raised voices from a male and a female outside.

He went out to investigate and found Ms Moran “upset” and the defendant at the school gate.

He said there were no other adults outside, but there were other students.

Mr Gallagher said he took the student inside, informed the principal and allowed Ms Moran tocall her mother.

“She was very distressed. I brought her into a class and tried to calm her down. She wanted tocall her mom, and I thought that was for the best,” said Mr Gallagher.

Mr Cadell asked Mr Gallagher if he had heard the defendant threaten Ms Moran.

Mr Gallagher said he had not heard specifically what was said.

DETENTION

Garda Caroline Drennan told the court that she arrested Mr Foley and took him to TemplemoreGarda Station, where he was interviewed.

In her evidence, Garda Drennan read allowed the memorandum generated from the interview.

According to the memorandum, Mr Foley told gardaí that he was dropping his son off at schooland making sure he went into the building.

Ms Moran told him to “watch himself” and called him names.

“I told her to cop on to herself and go away,” Mr Foley told gardaí.

Mr Foley told gardaí that he told her she should be “ashamed of herself” for stabbing his son.

But, he said he did not threaten her.

“I never said a thing. I wouldn’t argue with a child, she is only a girl,” said Mr Foley.

Acting for the prosecution, Inspector James White asked the guard if there was any evidence Ms Moran had stabbed the defendant’s son.

Garda Drennan said that no statement had been made about the alleged incident.

CREDIBLE WITNESSES

Judge Catherine Hayden noted the evidence of Ms Moran, Mr Gallagher and Garda Drennan. She said both Ms Moran and Mr Gallagher made “credible witnesses.”

However, she also noted that Mr Foley had failed to appear.

“I, therefore, do not have the benefit of his evidence,” said Judge Hayden.

Despite this, the judge said she believed the prosecution had made their case. She issued a bench warrant for Mr Foley.