Landlord charged with making a threat to kill
A LANDLORD allegedly threatened to kill a former tenant, saying he would pay €5,000 to “get him shot”.
Niall Cloke told the man during a phone call about a deposit that he would be returning to Romania either walking or “in a box,” gardai claimed.
Blanchardstown District Court
A court heard the alleged victim feared that the accused would “do these things to him”.
Mr Cloke, aged 49, with an address at Wheatfield Grove, Clondalkin, is charged with making a threat to kill or cause serious harm, under the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
The offence is alleged to have happened at an unknown location on November 11, 2019. Judge David McHugh refused jurisdiction to deal with the case at Blanchardstown District Court and adjourned it for the consideration of the DPP.
Garda Sergeant Walter Sweeney said the DPP directed summary disposal, with the issue of jurisdiction to be considered by the judge.
Giving a summary of the prosecution’s case, he said the man reported to gardai that his former landlord threatened him in the course of a discussion on the phone about the return of a deposit.
Mr Cloke allegedly threatened to “get a gun and put a bullet in his head,” and that he would pay €5,000 “to get him shot,” the court heard.
Sgt Sweeney said the accused allegedly said the man would return to Romania “either walking or in a box”.
The alleged threats had a “profound” effect on him, the man told gardai.
“He believed the accused would do these things to him,” Sgt Sweeney said.
Mr Cloke had also spoken about the alleged victim’s girlfriend, the man had told gardai. The accused had said he would watch her leaving work and where she lived, it was alleged. As a result, the man feared for his girlfriend’s safety.
The court was told the alleged victim video recorded the conversation which was on loudspeaker and gave this to the gardai.
When this was investigated, the accused presented himself at Ronanstown Garda Station.
Judge McHugh adjourned the case to a date in May. The accused will be sent for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when a book of evidence is prepared, if the DPP consents.
