Man charged in relation to alleged threat to set serving British MP on fire

Accused allegedly rang British police saying it was ‘only the start of it for Number 10’

A 41-year-old Briton, charged with threatening to kill a British Labour MP, also threatened to attack other MPs, it was alleged in court in Cork on Wednesday as he was charged with another offence.

Daniel Weavers, an engineer with an address at Castletreasure, Douglas, Cork was charged last November that he sent a menacing message by telephone to British police on October 18th, 2021.

The offence is contrary to Section 13 (1) (A) and Section 13 (2) of the Post Office (Amendment) Act 1951 as amended by Section (4) of the Communications Regulations (Amendment) Act 2007.

On Wednesday, at Cork District Court, Det Eoghain O’Callaghan of Douglas Garda Station charged Mr Weavers with a second similar offence, also on the same night and contrary to the same legislation.

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He gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution and told Judge Olann Kelleher that Mr Weavers made no reply to this second charge when it was put to him after caution when he arrested him.

Sgt Gearoid Davis said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal at district court only on a guilty plea and that if Mr Weavers opts to contest the charges, the case should be tried at circuit court level.

Judge Kelleher asked for details of the alleged offences with which Mr Weavers was charged to see if he would accept jurisdiction in the event of Mr Weavers pleading guilty to the charges.

Sgt Davis said the charges related to two phone calls received by Cambridgeshire Police Control Centre in the UK in the early hours of October 18th 2021 in which threats were made by the caller.

Explicit threat

He said that the state would allege that in the first call received by Cambridgeshire Police Control Centre at 12.23am, Mr Weavers made a very explicit threat to a female MP whom he identified.

"He referred to setting fire to a named MP and he referred to the recent death of an MP in England, saying he was going to start taking down MPs and this was just the start of it for Number 10."

And he said the state would allege that in a second call made at 12.43am. Mr Weavers said he was going to hunt down the female MP mentioned in the first call and he again threatened to harm her.

Judge Kelleher said that he would accept jurisdiction in the matter in the event of Mr Weavers opting to plead guilty to both offences, in which case the matter would remain in the district court.

Defence lawyer, Eddie Burke said Mr Weavers had been bailed on the first charge last year after no garda objection and his client was willing to abide by similar bail terms now on the new charge.

Sgt Davis sought a remand to May 4th and Judge Kelleher remanded Mr Weavers on bail to appear on that date when it is expected that Mr Weavers will indicate whether he is pleading guilty or not.

And Judge Kelleher remanded him on the existing conditions, including that he surrender his passport, abstain from all intoxicants and sign on once a week at Togher Garda Station.

Mr Weavers was also ordered to provide gardaí with a mobile number to be contacted 24/7, notify gardaí of any chance of address and have no unwarranted contact with Cambridgeshire Police.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times