Vincent Collopy admits threatening witness in case against brothers

A Limerick man who was extradited from Bulgaria more than five years ago has pleaded guilty to threatening and intimidating a key State witness in a case involving two of his brothers.

Vincent Collopy, with addresses in St Mary's Park Limerick, and Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, will be sentenced in March.

The 36-year-old appeared before Limerick Circuit Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to one charge of threatening, menacing or intimidating Willie Moran on June 9, 2010 at Island Road, Limerick with the intention of thereby causing the course of justice to be obstructed, perverted or interfered with.

Willie Moran was a key State witness in the pending trial of Vincent's brothers, Kieran Collopy and Damian Collopy, both of St Ita's Street, St Mary's Park, Limerick.

In 2011, both Damian and Kieran were each jailed for five years for threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Willie Moran on April 14th, 2010.

They alleged Mr Moran owed up to €5,000 for horses to their late brother Philip Collopy, who accidentally shot himself in the head in March 2009.

Vincent Collopy was arrested by police in Bulgaria in May 2014 on foot of a European arrest warrant, which was issued by the High Court in November 2011.

Appearing before Judge Tom O’Donnell at Limerick Circuit Court on Tuesday, Vincent Collopy pleaded guilty to count one on the indictment.

Prosecution counsel John O’Sullivan said Collopy’s guilty plea would “meet the matter for the DPP and a ‘nolle prosequi’ would be entered in respect of a separate charge.

Two weeks after the incident with Willie Moran, Collopy moved to Manchester where he was living for a time before moving to Bulgaria.

Judge O’Donnell adjourned sentencing until March 15th next and remanded Vincent Collopy on continuing bail.