Courts / Dublin / Report
Man who sent landlord threatening voicemails gets suspended sentence on appeal
Summary
A man, David O'Shea, who sent threatening voicemails to his landlord, has been given a four-month suspended sentence on appeal. O'Shea, 46, was convicted of threatening to kill and damage property, and was initially sentenced to four months in jail. His appeal was allowed, and the sentence was suspended for three years. The voicemails, which were four minutes long, included threats to burn the landlord's house down and 'reign down terror' on his family. O'Shea's defense argued that the severity of the sentence was too harsh, noting his apology and the impact of the pandemic on his mental health. The judge acknowledged the severity of the offenses but gave credit for O'Shea's plea and his apparent turnaround in life. The judge hoped the decision would not negatively affect O'Shea's employment. The suspended sentence was given with the hope that O'Shea would not lose his job as a result of the conviction.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man who sent landlord threatening voicemails gets suspended sentence on appeal. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- January 3, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-12-05 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; These matters were ultimately taken into consideration when a District Court judge sentenced him to four months jail for another matter. He decided to sentence O'Shea to four months imprisonment but fully suspended this for a period of three years for the threat to kill offence, with the threat to damage property charge taken into consideration.
Places mentioned
- District Court Appeals Court
Topics
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