Threat to kill Kilkenny publican - Man appears in court

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Making threats to kill or cause serious harm has resulted in a suspended prison sentence for a Kilkenny man.

The man must also pay a total of €3,000 in compensation to the injured party and charity contributions.

Before Kilkenny District Court was James O’Loughlin, Newtown, Castlecomer.

He pleaded guilty to two charges at a previous court hearing - making threats to kill or cause serious harm and assault causing harm.

The matter was adjourned to a recent court sitting to allow a Probation Report be prepared, to assist the judge in making an informed decision.

Charges arose out of events in a Castlecomer pub in March 2024.

Assault
On March 4, 2024, gardaí received a report of an assault that had taken place just before midnight.

A number of customers at The Corner House bar, Barrack Street, Castlecomer, witnessed events and gave statements as part of the investigation.

Mr O’Loughlin called in to the pub in an intoxicated and “highly agitated” state. He struck the injured party twice.
He also made threats which the injured party took very seriously.
There were no previous convictions recorded against Mr O’Loughlin.

At the time the injured party was leasing the pub from Mr O’Loughlin. It was leased on a rolling basis over a number of years.
The lease was being renegotiated at the time of this incident.

Solicitor Pat Finucane said some things had occurred, of a business and a personal nature, that lead to relations souring between the two men.

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CCTV
CCTV recorded the incident with audio and Mr O’Loughlin could be heard saying a number of things relating to the breakdown of the commercial relationship, Mr Finucane told the court.

Mr O’Loughlin is 52 years-old and never before came to garda attention, his solicitor said.

From 1993 to 2023 his client had lived and worked in the USA, Mr Finucane said.

His objective was to one day come back and buy a pub in Castlecomer with his brother. Sadly, Mr O’Loughlin’s brother, Frank, was shot and killed in a violent incident in New York in 1998, however he felt strongly that the dream they had should be kept alive.

Pub leased
In 2020, Mr O’Loughlin bought the pub in Castlecomer.

As he was still living in the USA, where he ran his own construction company, in late 2020 the business was leased.

This situation continued for a number of years, but, as time went on Mr O’Loughlin became unhappy about the way the pub was being run and ended the lease.

Circumstances were not helped by an incident in which Mr O’Loughlin’s other brother was barred from the pub, Mr Finucane said.

In a commercial sense, Mr O’Loughlin was not happy with the way the pub was being run and took steps ‘to remove some people from the premises when he took over the running of the business.

Petrol Bomb
One person came back and attacked the pub, twice.

On one occasion with a “petrol bomb” while people were still on the premises.
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