A MAN who pointed what appeared to be a gun at gardai has been jailed for 41/2 years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Leonard O'Shea was convicted earlier this month by a jury which heard he pointed either a real or imitation weapon at two gardai and threatened to "blow them away" if they followed him.
The jury took 11/2 hours to return its unanimous guilty verdict on O'Shea (25), of Rutland Grove, Dublin, after a five day trial.
He was also convicted of assaulting Det Sgt Gerard O'Carroll and of resisting Det Garda Pat Walsh in the execution of his duty the following day.
Judge Michael Moriarty said that, while he did not normally comment, he agreed with the verdicts in this case. O'Shea seemed motivated by hatred of the gardai and of authority.
He had specifically instructed his counsel to impugn the integrity and professionalism of the gardai, but they had been vindicated by the guilty verdicts. The jury rightly disregarded the evidence of O'Shea and members of his family.
Judge Moriarty said the decision of the Oireachtas in decreeing a maximum five year sentence for the intimidation offence was puzzling in view of it increasing the maximum penalty for simple larceny to 10 years.
He imposed a four year sentence on the intimidation charge and six months each on the other charges the six month sentences to run concurrently.
Det Sgt O'Carroll told prosecuting counsel, Mr Niall Durnin, that the intimidation offence happened at Sundrive Road, Crumlin, on October 26th, 1992.
Gardai James Cadden and Stephen O'Mahony had seen O'Shea act suspiciously and went to investigate. O'Shea ran into Sundrive Park, dropped on one knee and pointed, the weapon at the gardai who then called for reinforcements.
O'Shea threatened gardai with a dumb bell the following morning when a party of about 16 members raided his home at 6.35 a.m.. He had to be forced back on his bed with a riot shield. He continued to act violently in the Garda station, where the other offences took place.
Defence counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins, said his client had intended marrying his girlfriend, but that was now put in abeyance. It had taken over three years to bring this case to trial and it had hung over O'Shea in, that time. His client had a bad drugs habit.