A judge has apologised for comments he made at Monaghan District Court this week in which he said he would "blow the head off" an intruder in his house.
Judge Seán McBride made the comments on Tuesday after sentencing a 26-year-old man to three months in prison for robbery. "If I had a licensed shotgun I would blow the head off anyone that came into my house," the judge said. "People have no business going into private houses."
His comments, made during a case dealing with the burglary of the home of an elderly woman, were reported in the Monaghan Post newspaper.
In a statement issued on his behalf yesterday evening through the Courts Service, Judge McBride said he wished to put the comments "in the context in which they were made".
"I acknowledge that I did make the comments attributed to me and regret that I used this particular form of words," the statement read.
"I apologise for any offence or upset that these words may have caused. The words were used in the specific context of my dealing with the stealing of items from the home of an elderly person and in an attempt to highlight the vulnerability of those who are aged and who live alone.
"I was trying to emphasise my revulsion at the violation of the safety of people's homes - of the sanctuary of their private space.
"I regret my choice of language and want to make it clear that I am totally opposed to the use of guns and against all violence."
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties yesterday described the judge's comments as "outrageous". On RTÉ radio last night, Mark Kelly, director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, said the remarks were "very ill-advised".
During the case the judge said he wanted to send a "very tough message" and had "never heard anything more despicable in my life" than the case. The court heard the accused had stolen from a 79-year-old woman who was a friend of his late aunt.
Judge McBride described the theft as "loathsome, mean, despicable and low" and sentenced the man to three months in prison for stealing €320 and a further three months concurrently for stealing the woman's bank card.