Navan man is jailed for threats to gardai

A YOUNG Navan man who threatened two local gardai was sentenced to five years at Trim Circuit Court but with the final three-and-a-half years suspended.

Twenty-one-year old Lee Coleman of Clusker Park, Navan admitted a charge of harassment on 20th August 2020 at Navan Garda Station.

The court heard that after the defendant was arrested that evening arising from an earlier incident in the Blackcastle area he showered the two officers with a tirade of abuse and threats - warning that he knew where they and their families lived.

The threats continued for more than 24 hours when he was later brought to Cavan District Court and subsequently Castlereagh prison.

Coleman repeatedly claimed he had co-founded the Gucci gang and warned the officers they did not know who they were dealing with.

After reading a number of reports on the defendant who repeatedly apologised for his behaviour and hearing submissions from his lawyers Judge Terence O'Sullivan described Coleman at the time as a significant and dangerous individual by virtue of his drug taking and anti-social behaviour.

Jailing him for eighteen months the judge also ordered him not to have any contact with the two gardai or their families for ten years.

The defendant was also given a six months suspended term for his part in a violent disorder incident at Preston Place Navan on 21st February 2019 and a concurrent one year sentence for his role in a violent disorder incident where a group of 10-20 people wearing balaclavas gathered outside a house at Dunville Avenue, Johnstown and two windows were smashed on 30th March 2021.