Vile tirade of agitator who led occupation of Nama apartments
Convicted drug dealer orders reporter to ‘stay well away’ from him
A HOMELESS activist who attempted to take over a Namacontrolled apartment building in an act of apparent solidarity this week unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade when asked for a comment about his criminal conviction.
In a largely unprintable and incoherent response to a question, Colin McGettrick, who is part of a group calling itself the Premier Love Project, told this reporter to do herself a favour and ‘stay well away’ from him.
The convicted drug dealer who, the Irish Mail on Sunday previously reported, has a fractious relationship with his parents, went on to allege Garda corruption and said: ‘You f ****** witch. Friends with these corrupt cops go n f*** off to hell, you c***.’
McGettrick, from Woodbine Park, Raheny, Dublin5, hit the headlines this week when he attempted to take over the ‘Lindsay’ apartment building in Finglas in a copycat move to the controversial Apollo House occupation by unrelated activist group Home Sweet Home.
It later emerged that the Lindsay building, on the site of the old Premier Dairies, had already been earmarked for social housing.
Responding to the MoS, McGettrick claimed we live in the most ‘corrupt country in Europe’ and said he has been the victim of a ‘police vendetta’ since he was eight years old. He said his conviction for cocaine possession for supply in 2005 was a set-up and that he pleaded guilty to the charge under advice from his ‘stupid legal aid solicitor’.
‘I don’t deal f ****** drugs I hate f ****** drugs n drug dealers.
‘I plead not f ****** guilty right up to that day. Stupid legal aid solicitors kept drilling into my head go guilty r u do big jail for a f ****** offense [sic] I didn’t commit.’
McGettrick said he is writing a book and will include references of this reporter who is a ‘lapdog for corrupt b ******* ’.
He finished by ‘swearing’ he will expose this reporter as a ‘double agent’ and said he is only out of hospital for a ‘near fatal assault’.
‘Let me get on with my life and continue the good I do for this country. I’m sure you’ve plenty of criminals, scum or paedophiles the public would rather see you write about.’ McGettrick was one of a number of protesters alleged to have breached an interim injunction restraining them from interfering with or obstructing workers installing water meters during the Irish Water protests.
At the time of protests in 2014 he told the MoS he was protesting on behalf of his then-11-year-old child.
‘We’re being taxed to death. We are basically working just to pay bills.’ When asked if he was working, he replied: ‘No. I can’t find work for the last two years.’
But his attitude again changed when he was pressed on his criminal history: ‘You’re talking about stuff that happened 10 years ago; it’s disgusting.’
He also previously took to Facebook to heap scorn on his ageing mother. ‘I still have [never] in my life come across a more negative woman,’ he posted.
This week, McGettrick entered the 60-unit building on the Finglas Road at approximately 2am on Wednesday before stating on Facebook that apartments in the building would be offered to people unable to secure social housing.
Security guards confronted the activists and gardaí were alerted. The group left peacefully several hours later. A small number of homeless people later gathered at the front door after hearing about the occupation.
On Thursday, Nama and Dublin City Council said work was ongoing to make the building available for social housing.
‘Ironically, before Christmas, Nama reached agreement with DCC on the purchase of the apartments by DCC for use as social housing,’ a Nama spokesman said.
‘Nama also agreed to pay for additional work and to address fire safety issues prior to the sale. The occupation will delay this work and will ultimately delay their use for social housing. They are vacant for some time because of a fire safety notice,’ the spokesman added.
McGettrick – who lived with his parents until recently – told reporters this week: ‘I’ve been on the housing list for 17 years and still haven’t been housed. There’s people out there living in tents, cars, vans – we want to change the housing policy in this country whatever way we can. We’re going to keep on occupying Nama buildings.’
‘You f ****** witch go and f*** off to hell’ ‘Ironically, DCC is buying them for social housing’