John Gavin, 31, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to threatening Garda Sergeant Amanda Flood at the Four Courts on 29 May 2015.

Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Mr Gavin to 20 months’ imprisonment, to run consecutive to a six-year sentence he is currently serving after being convicted by a jury of rape.

Garda Sergeant Ronan Walton told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question, Mr Gavin attended a hearing during a court vacation in which a judge revoked his bail.

Mr Gavin started shouting that the law was corrupt. Sgt Flood, who was the only garda in the courtroom, tried to talk to him and he became aggressive towards her and began to shout obscenities while following her around the court.

“I hope you get run over by a bus,” he told Sgt Flood. He also told her he would “smash this court up” and said “I hope you die roaring”, only relenting when additional gardaí arrived.

In a victim impact statement, which was read out in court, Sgt Flood said that no incident had affected her as much as this one in her 15 years as a garda. She said she moved back to her family home for a few weeks after the incident.

Mr Gavin has 108 previous convictions, including convictions for assault causing harm and violent disorder. He is currently serving a six year sentence for a conviction by a jury of rape and he had been scheduled for release on 18 October 2021.

Addressing the court, Mr Gavin apologised and said his actions were very disrespectful. “I don’t know what happened, I wasn’t taking my medication”, Mr Gavin said.

Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, said his client had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was currently taking anti-psychotic medication. Mr Gavin is married and has three children.

Judge Nolan said that Mr Gavin “looks to be a powerfully built man” and that it was probably beyond the sergeant to restrain him. He said he was satisfied that even the most resilient of people would have been intimidated.

He said it was “unfortunate that there weren’t people there to save Mr Gavin from himself”, but that everyone was responsible for their own actions.

Brion Hoban, CCC.nuacht