‘It’s like the film, The Field’: Retired farmer chased contractor with metal pole

He said that Timothy O’Keeffe, ageed 79, of Scarteen Lower, Newmarket, Co Cork, was charged with obstructing gardaí as a result of his behaviour that morning in what the inspector described as being: “Like something out of the film The Field, it was like the field, part three.”

Giving evidence, Anne Marie O’Keeffe told the court that she owned the field in question and showed the court land registry documents to that effect. 

She said that she had bought the field in 2007. 

She said that her land was next to Timothy O’Keeffe’s family farm and that Mr O’Keeffe had disputed her title to the land, but added that she had absolute title to the land in question.

Solicitor for Timothy O’Keeffe, Cathal Lombard, said that his client claimed he had a registry of deeds that showed that his son owned the field and not Anne Marie O’Keeffe. 

Judge Colm Roberts said that it was his understanding that the land registry superseded any registry of deeds but added that the ownership of the field did not really interest him. 

He told Mr Lombard that the matter before the court was not who owned the field but what happened on the morning of March 15.

Witness Ciaran O’Connor told the court that on that morning he was working for Kelly Contractors, erecting fencing along the field boundary for Anne Marie O’Keeffe. 

He said that as he was working, Timothy O’Keeffe entered the field carrying a large metal fence pole with a sharp end. 

He said that Mr O’Keeffe began threatening him and telling the contractors to “get off my land.” 

Mr O’Connor said that Mr O’Keeffe threatened to hit him with the pole and would have done so if he did not run away from him. 

Mr O’Connor said that Mr O’Keeffe “caused havoc” and that he prevented them from working. 

He added: “He chased me around the field at one stage and if I had stopped, he would have hit me on the head.” 

Video evidence

The contractors took a video which was shown to the court, in which Timothy O’Keeffe could be seen holding the metal pole and shouting at a machine operator.

Garda Shauna Lordan from Milford Garda Station told the court that she received a call at about 10am telling her that Mr O’Keeffe was interfering with the work of the contractors. 

She said that when she arrived at the scene she could see Mr O’Keeffe waving the pole, “roaring and shouting” and being “highly abusive”. 

She said that she asked him to desist repeatedly but he refused and he was also abusive towards her. 

She said that she eventually arrested Mr O’Keeffe for a breach of the peace but he refused to leave with her and only left the field when more gardaí arrived and escorted him away.

Judge Colm Roberts said that the dispute about the field was between Anne Marie O’Keeffe and Mr O’Keeffe’s son so was none of Timothy O’Keeffe’s business anyway. 

He said that he accepted that there was a dispute and that Mr O’Keeffe was asked to leave and refused to do so. 

The court heard that Mr O’Keeffe had four previous convictions including two previous incidents relating to the same field. 

The judge said: “This hasn’t stopped, he needs to avoid conflict. As the inspector says this is like the film The Field.”

Timothy O’Keeffe was convicted and given a five-month sentence, suspended for two years on condition he has no contact with Anne Marie O’Keeffe, and does not enter onto the disputed land for the next two years.