Cork man jailed for threatening to stab woman and children before stealing car from their driveway
38-year-old Patrick Heaphy, who was living at an address at Riverside Wharf at the time of the crime, was sentenced on Friday to three-and-a-half years in prison with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The accused man expressed shame at his own actions and could not believe he had made such violent threats in the woman's house in the Cobh area on the night of November 11, 2024.
Patrick Heaphy got a taxi to the house and entered it while carrying a knife, announcing on his arrival: 'I will stab ye all.' He insisted on knowing who owned the cars in the driveway and demanded the car keys.
Ultimately, he was given a set of keys, drove away in the particular Skoda Octavia and crashed it into a pole. He was arrested following the arrival of emergency services.
He was highly intoxicated on the night. While he had serious previous convictions he had been working and staying out of trouble but his life spiraled out of control with his reaction to the death of his partner. As a result, he lost his job and lost his home.
When informed by gardaí about exactly what he said and did in the house during the aggravated burglary he was shaking his head in disbelief. He apologised for his behaviour. He said he wanted to acknowledge his wrongdoing to the woman and her children and did not ask for forgiveness.
On the night, the woman shouted upstairs to her children to lock themselves in their rooms. There was no physical altercation, apart from the threat he made to stab everyone.
Judge Behan said the incident happened in a family home where the woman and her children had a right to feel safe and secure.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Man accused of €550k arson attack on Cork house further remanded in custody
A 40-year-old man charged in relation to an attack at a house in Cork where there was €550,000 fire damage was remanded in custody for another fortnight. Paul McCarthy of 40 Dowth Avenue, Cabra, Dublin, was remanded in custody by Judge Mary Dorgan until then on a charge of arson at Fernbrook, Ballincrokig, County Cork, on April 24. Nicholas Hall, barrister, complained of delay and applied to have the matter made peremptory against the State – an application refused by Judge Dorgan. Det. Garda Brian Murphy objected to bail when the matter first came before Cork District Court, saying: 'It is alleged that Paul McCarthy drove from Dublin, passing the Watergrasshill toll at 8.30pm. "At 9pm the car arrives at the house and three people exit. Two enter the curtilage of the property and ignited two glass petrol bombs with a blowtorch. They smashed a bedroom window and threw in these petrol bombs. 'The third person – believed to be Paul McCarthy – stands close to the vehicle and allegedly films the incident on his mobile phone.. The Skoda Octavia enters the Plaza filling station in Portlaoise just before midnight and Paul McCarthy is identified, filling the car with €30 diesel and leaving without paying.' A man aged 87 and his 86-year-old wife were watching television in the house at the time. It was quickly engulfed in flames but they were unharmed. Paul McCarthy's next court appearance will be by video link from prison on August 6.
Irish Examiner
04-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Cork man jailed for threatening to stab woman and children before stealing car from their driveway
A man fixated on stealing a car broke into a house armed with a knife and threatened to stab a woman and her young children putting them through a terrifying ordeal. 38-year-old Patrick Heaphy, who was living at an address at Riverside Wharf at the time of the crime, was sentenced on Friday to three-and-a-half years in prison with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The accused man expressed shame at his own actions and could not believe he had made such violent threats in the woman's house in the Cobh area on the night of November 11, 2024. Patrick Heaphy got a taxi to the house and entered it while carrying a knife, announcing on his arrival: 'I will stab ye all.' He insisted on knowing who owned the cars in the driveway and demanded the car keys. Ultimately, he was given a set of keys, drove away in the particular Skoda Octavia and crashed it into a pole. He was arrested following the arrival of emergency services. He was highly intoxicated on the night. While he had serious previous convictions he had been working and staying out of trouble but his life spiraled out of control with his reaction to the death of his partner. As a result, he lost his job and lost his home. When informed by gardaí about exactly what he said and did in the house during the aggravated burglary he was shaking his head in disbelief. He apologised for his behaviour. He said he wanted to acknowledge his wrongdoing to the woman and her children and did not ask for forgiveness. On the night, the woman shouted upstairs to her children to lock themselves in their rooms. There was no physical altercation, apart from the threat he made to stab everyone. Judge Behan said the incident happened in a family home where the woman and her children had a right to feel safe and secure.
Sunday World
03-07-2025
- Sunday World
Drink driver who crashed head-on into motorist ‘was fleeing toxic relationship'
Pamela Tierney (26) pleaded guilty to drink and dangerous driving A housekeeper was more than two and a half times over the limit when crashing head on into another motorist that left him trapped in his own vehicle and lodged in a wall, a court has heard. Pamela Tierney (26) of Riverside, Corroneray, Kingscourt, Cavan pleaded guilty to drink and dangerous driving at a sitting of Monaghan District Court following a two vehicle crash at Crumlin, Magheracloone , Carrickmacross, Monaghan on June 19, 2024. Tierney's Skoda Octavia, the court heard, crossed a continuous white line along a stretch of the R162 and collided head on with a male motorist who had travelling in the opposite direction towards Kingscourt in Co Cavan. Pamela Tierney was more than two and a half times over the legal limit to drive when she crashed head on into 4x4 pick up truck that left its driver trapped inside his vehicle after it became lodged in a wall. Sgt Lisa McEntee said when gardaí and emergency services attended the scene shortly before 9pm, they found that while Tierney had escaped largely unscathed, the driver of the other vehicle was trapped inside a 212 registered Toyota Hilux. The court was told the severity of the crash caused the 4x4 pick up truck to become 'lodged in a boundary wall'. Emergency services managed to free the man from the wreckage ahead of his later transferral to hospital as a precautionary measure alongside Tierney. Sgt McEntee said both drivers were breathalysed in an exercise the accused failed, something which was confirmed in a subsequent urine sample. Judge Gerry Jones banned Pamela Tierney from driving for two years. That reading, Judge Gerry Jones was told, returned a result of 175ml of alcohol per 100ml of urine. Under current road traffic laws, the legal limit for fully licenced drivers stands at 67 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of urine, putting Tierney at more than two and a half times in excess of that figure. Sgt McEntee said it was the State's case the incident came after Tierney crossed a continuous white line which effectively resulted in the head on collision. In defence, solicitor Niall Fox said the only reason she had been on the road that day was as a consequence of the dire personal circumstances she found herself entangled in at the time. Pamela Tierney outside Monaghan Courthouse. 'Unfortunately, on this occasion she was in a very toxic relationship and was fleeing the scene,' he said. 'She felt she had no other option but to leave her house and unfortunately she had drink taken.' Mr Fox said Tierney was acceptive of the mandatory two year ban she was facing into, but qualified that by asking for additional weight to be placed on her early guilty plea and her previously unblemished record. Judge Jones consequently banned Tierney for two years while also fining her €500 in the process.
