STAFF at the Irish Kidney Association facility in Bishopstown were petrified of a neighbour who admitted that he was threatening and abusive to them.
Garda Brian White investigated the case against 63-year-old Vincent O’Riordan of St Anne’s, Wilton Avenue, Bishopstown, and charged him with three separate counts of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act.
Pleading guilty to all three counts, Vincent O’Riordan said: “I am taking responsibility for my behaviour.”
Garda White said the Irish Kidney Association purchased two houses that were developed as a centre to support families of people experiencing kidney problems.
“Staff in the Irish Kidney Association’s property are petrified of him — for want of a better word. A lot of the mainly female staff are afraid to go out on the road outside the premises on their own,” Garda White said.
Defence solicitor Joseph Cuddigan expressed concern about any suggestion of further incidents, stressing that the defendant was before the court to face three charges only and was pleading guilty to those.
However, he said the facts as outlined about the three events were fully accepted as was the evidence that the three ladies were extremely distressed by what happened.
In the first incident on September 28, 2023, a member of staff was outside sitting in her car on the phone and he told her to quieten down and he put up two fingers to her.
On November 26, 2023, a woman working in the centre was standing on the front driveway when Mr O’Riordan came out of his house across the road and shouted, “Ye f***ers have no respect for nobody, ye’re a f***ing disgrace. Like all charities on the take.” Garda White said this caused her some distress and she felt intimidated and threatened.
A colleague was moving her car later and she was approached by the accused who put up his middle finger to her and told her to f*** off, causing her stress and embarrassment.
“I investigated all three matters. Mr O’Riordan came to Bishopstown garda station. In fairness he put his hands up to everything,” Garda White said.
Mr Cuddigan said in mitigation: “He is a man who has a very set routine. His routine was disrupted and he found it difficult to cope. He is someone who regularly attends his GP.”
The particular issue which disrupted him was renovation work taking place at the Kidney Association’s facility and the attendance at the scene by construction workers and delivery vehicles. Mr Cuddigan said that with this work now completed, the defendant’s sense of disruption had passed.
“The construction work is finished. Matters have returned to what they were,” Mr Cuddigan said.
The solicitor did not call the accused to speak on his own behalf and asked the judge to consider what had been submitted in mitigation. However, Vincent O’Riordan wanted to speak.
“The problem started with building and construction and the disrespect shown in the area.
“The amount of the community work done over the years by me. The flowers grown by me at my own expense, I am very popular and well-liked in the area, I have done an incredible amount of voluntary work in the last four years. I am off alcohol 13 years and I am helping loads of people,” he said.
He went on to say that with the amount of construction and delivery traffic his life became ‘absolute hell’ and he claimed he was abused by various workers on the construction site.
Judge Mary Dorgan said after reading the probation report on the accused: “It is self-righteous about your own behaviour without any empathy for the victims. That is what is coming through loud and clear from the probation report. We need to do a little more work before this is finalised.”
Judge Dorgan adjourned sentencing until June 18 and requested GP’s report on the accused.
