Jury unanimously clears Mayo man of threat to kill charge

A 22-year-old Mayo man has been cleared by a jury this evening of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a young woman.

Robert Cawley of Four Winds, Corrimbla, Ballina, broke down in tears when the jury announced its unanimous verdict at the Circuit Criminal Court, sitting in Castlebar.

His parents and other family members were also highly emotional, firstly hugging each other and then the accused.

Cawley had pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Renee McGuinness on February 12, 2018, contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

During the course of a two-day hearing, the jury heard that Dr. Valentine Okechukwu , former consultant psychiatrist at the Adult Mental Unit at Mayo University Hospital, alerted gardai to a comment made by the accused that he had presented for admission to the unit because of thoughts of suicide and wanting to kill somebody.

Dr. Okechukwu, who is now working in Canada, gave evidence to the court via video link. He said the accused informed him of intentions to rape Ms. McGuinness, a girl he had met in Co. Sligo.

The witness said he was concerned because Cawley repeated the threats and said the same thing to another consultant.

“I thought the risks were high,” Dr. Okechukwu, continued, adding that Cawley was known to abuse alcohol and cannabis on a chronic basis.

In evidence, Ms. McGuinness, who is in her early twenties, said she knew the accused for a number of years previously, having first met through a friend in Easkey.

The witness also said she knew Cawley through Facebook and provided details of Facebook messages asking that they meet up.

He had suggested that they meet in Easkey Castle but she suggested a pub, Emmetts in Ballina, instead.

Cross-examined by defence counsel, Mr. Diarmuid Connolly, the witness said: “I thought it strange to meet in an abandoned ruin.”

No meeting had ever taken place, Ms. McGuinness said.

Sergeant Noel Crinnegan gave details of a question and answer session between the accused and gardai in Castlebar garda station on February 16, 2018.

In the interview, the accused said he had obsessive thoughts but was able to control them, the kind of thoughts that “get in the head but don’t leave”.

He denied ever making a threat about Renee McGuinness. He said he had met her about six years ago but had lost contact.

A meeting was set up to rekindle the friendship. He had contacted her on Facebook and suggested Easkey Castle as a meet-up spot but she said no.

In the question and answer session, the accused admitted saying he wanted to rape and skin someone but did not intend carrying these thoughts out.

“I had no intention of carrying out the comments that I made. I was receiving medication at the time for social anxiety and OCD (obsessive compulsive behaviour).

“I had no intention of carrying them (thoughts) through. They were just on my mind an awful lot.”

In his closing address to the jury prosecuting counsel, Mr. Patrick Reynolds, said Dr. Okechukwu considered the risk real and ongoing and had used the term ‘high risk’ in his evidence.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Connolly said: “The entire prosecution is simply wrong. We are here in essence because a young man had intrusive thoughts of harming another person.”

Mr. Connolly added that the accused had told his mother and, with his family, went to his GP and was treated in hospital. “What did he get for his trouble –a charge sheet?”

The jury reached its verdict after deliberating for two and a half hours.