Kicked dog and threatened woman

A woman who remonstrated with a 22-year-old man who kicked out at her dog while she was walking in a Dundalk Park was verbally abused and threatened by him, the local court heard last Wednesday.

Kieran Kearney, O’Hanlon Park appeared on charges of assault, public disorder and animal cruelty relating to the incident at Ice House Hill Park on August 28, 2011.

Inspector Martin Beggy said 
that while the woman was walking her dog, the animal moved 
towards defendant who was in the park. He kicked out at the dog. 
The woman had remonstrated with him and he threatened her, telling her he knew where she lived.

“She was very upset”, the inspector said.

He said that while defendant kicked the woman, there were no injuries.

Defending solicitor James 
Egan told Judge William 
Hamill that his client had been drinking that day. He was 
walking through the park when 
he came across the woman 
with the dog. There was also another individual with a dog running around. He was afraid of dogs, the solicitor said. The drink he had taken had exaggerated his fears.

Judge Hamill ordered a short adjournment to allow defendant to apologise to the woman. He did so and also apologised to the investigating Garda for his behaviour relating to the public disorder during a separate incident.

The judge ordered a community service report and adjourned the case to February 27 next.