Barred shopper made a threat to security guard

A security guard has told Sligo District Court he feared for his family’s safety after receiving a threat from a man who said, ‘I know where you live’.

Ramesh Boggarapu, a security guard in Penney’s in Sligo made a statement to gardaí following the threat.

Patrick Lawrence (54) of Woodfield, Ballintogher was before Sligo District Court where he admitted a charge of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

Garda Joe Evans told the court that on August 3rd, 2019 on O’Connell Street, the security guard of Penney’s, Ramesh Boggarapu approached him and reported a man would not leave the store.

Mr Boggarapu said the man, Lawrence, had been previously barred from the store and was now refusing to leave.

Garda Evans went into the store and observed the interaction from 15 metres away and described Lawrence as ‘docile’.

The security guard then returned to the garda and told him Lawrence made a threat to him saying, ‘I know where you live’.

Garda Evans then spoke with Lawrence who was reported as being ‘quiet’ and left the store peacefully.

Mr Boggarapu told the garda he wanted to make a statement in relation to the matter.

Asked by defence solicitor, Mr Eddie Henry if he noted a threat was made, Garda Evans said he observed the body language of the two men which seemed ‘fine’ and made a note of the threat when the security guard made the complaint.

Mr Boggarapu told the court he has been a security guard for 20 years, with nine of those being in Sligo.

He said he had previously experienced racial abuse but never a threat of this nature.

He said he approached Lawrence and asked him to leave as he was barred and Lawrence refused and told him he could get the gardaí.

He told the court Lawrence said, ‘I know where you live’ and 30 seconds later added, ‘I can come for you, but I won’t’.

He said he felt threatened as he has a small family in Sligo.

Asked by Mr Henry if Lawrence had been issued with a formal letter regarding his barring from the store, the security guard said ‘no’.

Mr Henry put it to him that his client knew him to see and saw him around his home as he had done work in the area and suggested that Mr Boggarupu had misunderstood the statement.

Judge Kevin Kilrane said there was only one way the line could have been interpreted and said Lawrence was aware he was not welcome in the shop.

The judge applied the Probation Act to Lawrence and asked him for an undertaking that neither he, or his family touch or harass Mr Boggarapu or his family.