A MAN has been charged with threatening and intimidating two officers of the Criminal Assets Bureau by threatening to shoot them.
Christy “Ditsy” Nevin (54), St Michael’s Park, Mullingar, was one of more than 60 people who appeared before a special sitting of Mullingar District Court charged with violent disorder arising out of a riot between feuding families at Dalton Park, Mullingar last July.
A total of 62 men and one woman were remanded on continuing bail because the book of evidence has not been completed.
Mr Nevin was further charged at the court with two counts of intimidation or threats to a Cab officer under Section 13 (1) of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act following an incident at his home on April 28th last.
Det Garda Martin Harrington said the incident occurred when he, a Cab Revenue officer, a Cab social welfare officer and a local garda attempted to serve papers on Mr Nevin at his home.
When the four officers arrived at the halting site Mr Nevin emerged from his caravan, removed a belt from his jeans and began swinging it, the garda said.
He said Mr Nevin told the officers to get off the site and said he had no problem getting a gun and he knew how to use it. He said he would shoot the men and then shoot himself. When three other men approached, he told the officers he would get the men to beat them up, the court was told.
In court Mr Nevin apologised for his behaviour and said he had nothing against the officers. His comments were just “a slip of a word that came out that day”. Judge John Neilan said the allegation was serious and there was a strong threat that the officers ran the risk of losing their lives during the course of their continuing investigations.
Mr Nevin was released on his own cash surety of €1,000 and an independent cash surety of €2,000 and remanded to appear on all charges at Mullingar District Court on June 8th with all other defendants. There was considerable security at the courthouse with sniffer dogs and a helicopter as well as a large Garda presence.
Many of the defendants applied for and were granted a shorter curfew of between 10pm and 8am, instead of the previous 8pm to 8am, despite a request from Supt John Gantly that the original curfew be allowed stand because it had been imposed for good reasons. One man had his bail conditions relaxed for his upcoming wedding and honeymoon.