Man (46) pleads guilty to threatening to kill the family of murder victim

A 46-year-old man has been remanded on bail after he pleaded guilty to charges of threatening to kill two members of the family of a 20-year old student murdered in Cork city over two years ago.

Noel Barry from Cherry Tree Road, Togher in Cork pleaded guilty to three separate charges relating to the family of murder victim, Cameron Blair when he was arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The State alleges in two threat charges that Barry did, at a place unknown on September 4th 2020 in the course of a phone call, make a threat to a named member of the Blair family from West Cork.

The State alleges that Barry threatened to kill or cause serious harm to two other named members of the Blair family, contrary to Section 5 of the Non Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997.

Barry is also charged with a third offence of sending a menacing message by phone to a named member of the Blair family, contrary to Section 13 (1) (A) of the Post Office (Amendment) Act 1951.

In respect of that charge, it was previously alleged when Barry was first charged that he made four phone calls to the Blair family on the night in question and that the family recorded two of the calls.

It was alleged threats were made to Noel Blair, father of the deceased, and his family were allegedly told to "F**k off back to England" and that Mr Blair was warned his family would "never be safe".

The State also alleged at that original hearing that Mr Blair reported in another call that he was told to get his "Loyalist friends" so they could "sort this out on the streets of Shankill Road" in Belfast.

On Friday, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, prosecution barrister, Ray Boland BL said victim impact statements would be required from the Blair family and he applied for the case to be adjourned.

Defence counsel, Sinead Behan BL, said her client suffered from anxiety and depression issues and had received psychiatric care in the past and said a medical report would be required for the court.

Ms Behan said she had a short report and would like a longer one but Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin refused that application whereupon Ms Behan said she reserved the right to apply again.

Judge Ó Donnabháin remanded Barry on continuing bail to appear on May 20th on terms including he have no contact, direct or indirect or by social media or through anyone, with the Blair family.

In April 2020, a 17-year-old juvenile, was given a life sentence by Mr Justice Paul Dermot at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Cameron Blair on the Bandon Road in Cork on January 16th.

Mr Justice McDermott set a review date on the life sentence for November 2032, meaning the teenager, who has been in custody since January 23rd 2019, faces at least 12 years in jail.

Mr Blair had been attending a party on the Bandon Road and was acting as “a peacemaker” between those in the house and another group seeking re-entry when he was stabbed in the neck.

The court heard Mr Blair did not realise he had been stabbed and his last words before he collapsed were to the teenager and his friends, “Don’t worry, lads, I don’t want to be fighting”.

The teenager later wrote an apology to the Blairs, saying: “Cameron was nothing but nice to me on the night and did nothing wrong to me. It was never ever my intention for any of this to happen.”