Kilkenny Court told man accused of sending ‘grossly offensive, menacing’ messages

A man is to face trial on a charge of making a threat to kill, at Kilkenny Circuit Court.

The charges relate to phone messages of a “grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character” allegedly aimed at two social workers.

John Dillon, 4 Montgomery Street, Carlow, was presented with a book of evidence in the case at Kilkenny District Court.

State solicitor Gerry Meaney said there are two counts on the indictment and he was seeking an order sending the matter forward for trial.
A third, summary matter was adjourned to a district court sitting in March.

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Mr Dillon is charged with sending ‘grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing’ messages on September 18, 2025, from a location unknown in the Kilkenny District Court area.

He is also charged with making a threat to kill or cause serious harm, and with obstructing a peace officer, at Staplestown Road post office, on October 20, 2025.

Judge Geraldine Carthy gave the usual alibi warning and sent the matter forward to the next sitting of Kilkenny Circuit Court.
Mr Dillon was further remanded in custody and legal aid was granted.

At a court sitting, last October, Mr Dillon was denied bail. On that occasion the court heard that on September 18, 2025, just after 6pm, a message was left on the phone of a Tusla social worker, based in Carlow.
A male voice said he had ‘a bone to pick’ with the woman. The lengthy message included the threats “I’ll do prison for you,” “you better be there or I know where you will be,” and “I’ll take her f***ing head off.”

The following day the message was reported to gardaí. The social worker said she recognised the voice as that of Mr Dillon and the number he rang from was his partner’s phone, which the social worker also knew as she had dealings with the family.

The social worker took the threats very seriously, the garda told the court, because she knew the man.
She told gardaí she felt unsafe in her workplace because Mr Dillon had been abusive to her and her colleagues there previously.

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The social worker shared the message with one of her colleagues who she said the threats were also against. She felt fearful for herself and her colleagues’ safety and feared Mr Dillon might turn up at her workplace or home.

Neither of the women had attended court on that occasion, for the hearing, because “they are genuinely in fear of him.”

A garda gave evidence that when he approached Mr Dillon to arrest him he became aggressive and verbally abusive to gardaí.