Former Sinn Fein councillor made phone calls of ‘vile personal abuse’

By Brendan Grehan

A FORMER Dublin City councillor who made 40 threatening phone calls of “vile personal abuse” to a Tallaght man has paid €300 to charity in Tallaght Court.

Killian Forde will have to pay the remaining €400 by the end of January.

Forde was a Dublin City councillor with Sinn Féin from 2004 to 2010 before switching to Labour. He resigned his seat in 2011 when he was made Chief Executive of the Integration Centre.

He made the phone calls to Paddy Banks who was a member of the board of The Integration Centre at the time.

The court had heard that on October 7, 2014, Forde made a number of threatening and intimidating calls to one male.

The court had heard that the calls were “drunken gibberish” and that the man had been threatened that he would be got, but the injured party had not felt threatened.

Forde, aged 46, with addresses at Cardonagh Park, Donaghmede, and Sutton Park, Sutton, had pleaded guilty to making a hoax telephone call at an address at Homelawn Drive, Tallaght, on October 7, 2014, contrary to Section 13(1) of the Post Office (Amendment) Act, 1951.

The court had heard that the calls had arisen out of situation at the Integration Centre where Forde had been Chief Executive and Mr Banks had been on the board. The calls took place between 12.25am and 6am and Forde said he had been intoxicated.

Giving his victim impact statement, Mr Banks had told Judge Patricia McNamara that the calls were “vile personal abuse of such a nature as to leave me with a deep sense of apprehension that I made a complaint to the gardaí”.

He had added : “ It was said to me I would be got and I would pay for what I did. He did not appear to me to be intoxicated.

I will not accept an apology from Mr Forde. I would regard it as an empty formula. I have been deeply offended as to how I have been treated.”

Forde was due before Judge McNamara for payment of €700 to charity. When his case was called there was no appearance from Forde. His counsel, George Burns BL, said he was expecting his client.

The case went to second calling and still there was no appearance. Judge McNamara said she would put the case back for two days.

Forde later appeared in court and the case was recalled.

Forde apologised to Judge McNamara for being late. Mr Burns said there was €300 in court and said his client would have the remaining monies by January 16 when he will be paid.

Judge McNamara adjourned the case to the end of January for Forde to pay the remaining €400.