A 52-YEAR-OLD man who made death threats to Brothers of Charity staff at their homes has been jailed for 18 months.
Imposing the sentence at Galway District Court, Judge Mary Fahy said failure by care staff to complain about the man’s threatening behaviour over the years led him to believe he could go to their residences to intimidate them.
Billy Hill, formerly of Rockbarton Park, Salthill, Galway, pleaded guilty to harassing care worker Anne Loughrey on December 2nd last year at her residence late at night. He also pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to retired Brothers of Charity chief executive Patrick McGinley at his home on December 13th last.
Mrs Loughrey said staff were afraid of Hill and the charity could no longer offer its services to him.
Mr McGinley, who retired from the charity last October, said he feared for his life.
The judge said one report from a forensic psychiatrist stated that Hill was culpable for his actions.
She sentenced Hill to nine months in prison for harassing Mrs Loughrey, and imposed a consecutive nine-month sentence on him for threatening Mr McGinley. A further four-month sentence was imposed on Hill, suspended for a year for breaching the peace.