A MAN has been charged with threatening to rape and kill the sister of Limerick gangland victim, Roy Collins.
Stephen Reilly (21), Elmworth Court, Belhavel, Athlone was refused bail yesterday at Mullingar District Court.
Det Garda Tom Higgins said it would be the prosecution’s case that on Monday, April 12th in Athlone Mr Reilly told Leanne Collins, a student in the town, that he would rape her, slit her throat and shoot her.
Mr Reilly told her he would “get her sorted” and have her flat wrecked, Garda Higgins said.
Judge David Anderson was told Ms Collins and her boyfriend had been walking in Beech Park, Athlone when Mr Reilly, who was the backseat passenger in a car which pulled up beside the couple, jumped out allegedly wielding a hammer and told them they were “fucking dead”.
He then chased Ms Collins’s boyfriend and took a bag which he dropped containing a new pair of Nike runners, a T-shirt and a pair of shorts valued at €180, the detective garda said.
He said Mr Reilly then pointed at Ms Collins and warned her not to telephone the gardaí.
The threatening phone call was made to Ms Collins later when Mr Reilly warned her again not to contact gardaí and told her he was going to kill her, he said.
Garda Higgins told the court Ms Collins was the sister of the late Roy Collins and the daughter of Steve Collins. She was from Limerick but was studying in Athlone where she now lived. Ms Collins was not in court.
Judge Anderson refused bail and remanded Mr Reilly in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on April 22nd.