A 48-year-old taxi driver allegedly harassed a leading Limerick solicitor with a series of threatening and abusive phone calls, a court has heard.
The allegation was made at a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Saturday, where Christopher Carroll was appearing before Judge Tom O'Donnell.
Mr Carroll with an address at Hyde Road, Limerick, was charged with harassment under Section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
The court heard the married father of two engaged in a series of threatening and abusive phone calls to the solicitor, Ted McCarthy, in the early hours of May 25th last.
The calls allegedly started after the accused man had received a bill for legal costs following a matter involving his former partner. Mr McCarthy, a well-known Limerick solicitor, is a former president of the Limerick City and County Bar Association.
Det Sgt Tom O'Connor outlined allegations that the calls started shortly after 3am last Thursday morning while Mr McCarthy was asleep in bed.
The accused used threatening, menacing and abusive language and told Mr McCarthy that he would pay a visit to his elderly mother.
The series of phone calls to the solicitor started after Mr Carroll allegedly telephoned Mr McCarthy's mother at 3am claiming that he had a package to deliver and asking for his address.
The court heard allegations that the taxi driver also told Mr McCarthy that he was very friendly with a well-known Limerick crime family.
Sgt O'Connor said Mr McCarthy had genuine and serious concerns for his own personal safety and his mother's safety.
Opposing a bail application, Sgt O'Connor described the alleged incident as "an outrageous case of harassment".
Defence solicitor, John Devane, told the court that his client had been a recovering alcoholic for the past six years but conceded that he had been drinking last week at the time of the alleged offence.
The court also heard that gardaí plan to bring further charges in relation to the matter.
Judge O'Donnell said he was satisfied it was a very serious matter and based on the strength of the allegations in support of the charge, he refused bail.
He instructed that any further charges should be brought quickly and he remanded the accused in custody until Thursday next.