Man found in Offaly with nailbar and hatchet feared paedophile hunters
A MAN was carrying a nail bar and a small hatchet in Birr because he feared being the target of a “sting” by paedophile hunters, Tullamore District Court heard.
Andrew Cullen, with an address at The Courtyard, Mill Street, Birr but who was homeless, pleaded guilty to having those items at Camcor Park on August 30 last and appeared before the court by videolink from the Midlands Prison.
He is serving a three-month sentence there for indecency and is due for release on November 3.
Judge Andrew Cody had also previously imposed a suspended sentence on him for possession of a weapon, after he was found with a sword down his trousers near a playground in Birr on December 26, 2022.
Appearing for him today (October 25), solicitor Aisling Maloney said Mr Cullen suffered from delusions and hallucinations.
On the night in question the 57-year-old had the items because the previous night he thought there was going to be a “sting by paedophile hunters”.
A Trinity educated mechanical engineer, he had fallen into alcoholism and ill health and was homeless.
His GP believed he had PTSD but that had not been fully diagnosed by a psychiatrist. Ms Maloney said the court had ordered a probation report previously and the accused was assessed but other matters had overtaken that.
The solicitor said her client had been homeless before going into custody.
Judge Cody said the offence was a serious one and noted Mr Cullen previously had possession of a sword near a children's playground.
He said he was considering a six-month sentence but instead remanded the defendant on bail to appear again on November 23 and sought an urgent preliminary probation and welfare report in the meantime.
He warned Mr Cullen that a six-month sentence would be imposed if he offended again and said it was a condition of his bail that he carry no knives.
In April the court heard how Mr Cullen was hallucinating and believed there was a monster behind a wall when he was seen carrying a sword near a playground in Birr on St Stephen's Day last year.
The sword was three feet long and had a sharply pointed blade when he was found with it at Mill Street car park.
The court heard at the time that he had been seen by a member of the public walking in the playground in Birr “waving two swords around”.
The man was stopped and searched and a garda found a sword concealed within his trouser leg and seized it.
The man told gardai the sword was from the reenactment of a battle. There was a smell of alcohol from him and another sword was located in a car.
Ms Maloney told the court her client had one or two too many drinks on the day and had been hallucinating.
He was homeless at the time and the car was essentially his home. He was a man with an interest in medieval history, the blades of the swords were dull and he had no intention of using them as a weapon. Mr Cullen seemed to have had a psychotic break, the solicitor added.