Man guilty of sending a pig’s head to garda in Co Clare

A Dublin man has been found guilty a sending a pig’s head to the home of a garda in Co Clare.

At Ennis Circuit Court today, on the fifth day of the trial, the jury unanimously found Brendan Mahoney (48) of Cabra Park, Dublin 7 of sending the pig's head on January 26th to the Kilkee home of Garda Paul Heaslip.

During the trial, Garda Heaslip’s wife Natalie O’Neill said she was “completely in shock” after her husband opened the box and peeled back tin foil inside to reveal the head.

The couple made the discovery at lunchtime on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at their home at the Percy French estate in Kilkee.

The box containing the pig’s head was posted from Prussia Street post office in Dublin five days before on January 26th.

Ms O’Neill said that she noticed first “a very pungent odour from the box”.

Asked her reaction on seeing the pig’s head, Ms O’Neill said: “I was shocked, horrified, disgusted, probably 17 different emotions all at once. I was afraid. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t know what was going on.”

The jury found Mahoney guilty after 50 minutes of deliberation. Sentencing in the case is due to take place later today.