RAPIST THREATENS FEMALE PRISON OFFICER: ‘I’LL BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN’

THREAT MADE OVER OFFICER’S REFUSAL TO SERVE RATHMORE MAN CIGARETTES

A KERRY rapist serving a sentence for burglary has received another two years for threatening to burn a prison officer’s house down.

James Cronin (36) told the prison officer that he knew where she lived and would burn her house down when she wouldn’t serve him tobacco at Arbour Hill Prison tuck shop.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that prisoners are allocated specific dates and times to avail of the tuck shop and that Cronin had lied about not being able to attend on his designated slot a day later.

Garda Redmond O’Leary said though the prison officer had experienced threats during her 17 years on the job, this was the first occasion where she felt the need to report the incident.

Cronin, of Rathmore, Co Kerry, pleaded guilty to threatening to damage the prison officer’s home on October 16, 2015, at Arbour Hill Prison, Dublin 7.

His 12 previous convictions include eight years for false imprisonment and rape in an offence dating from October 2004.

He also got seven years, which was increased to ten years in the Court of Criminal Appeal, for attempted rape, sexual assault and assault in a separate incident in December 2004.

Gda O’Leary told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that Cronin’s other previous convictions were for public order offences along with a partially suspended three-year burglary sentence.

On Thursday last, Judge Melanie Greally noted that it was a ‘trivial event’ but that the threat was ‘sufficiently menacing and convincing’ for the prison officer to make her first report.

The judge commented that the prison officer had extended a certain amount of kindness to Cronin and was repaid in this way.

She further noted that Cronin had a history of mental health issues and had experienced “extreme mistreatment at the hands of fellow prisoners” over the years.

She said the incident was out of character and at the lower end of the scale. She imposed a two-year sentence with the final nine months suspended.

Gda O’Leary agreed with Michael Bowman SC, defending, that Cronin was moved to another prison days after the threat.

The garda further accepted that Cronin had been com- mitted to the Central Mental Hospital on occasion and had never before been violent or threatening during his 11 years in custody.

Mr Bowman submitted to Judge Greally that his client had been assaulted on a number of occasions in various prisons.

He said Cronin had elected for 23 hour lock-up because he is an easy and vulnerable target.