A woman who threatened pharmacy staff and told gardai her surname was Kinahan has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Leanne O'Neill, 31, was in an intoxicated state when she made threats to pharmacy staff after they refused to give her a prescription for her aunt. Gardai later established that O'Neill is not connected to the Kinahan surname.
Judge Melanie Greally said the threats would have been very frightening for the staff, particularly when "that particular surname was invoked".
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She imposed a 20 month sentence, suspended on strict conditions.
O'Neill of Derrynane Square, Upper Dorset Street, Dublin 7 pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three counts of making threats to kill at MediPharm, 19 North Frederick Street, Dublin on May 18, 2020.
Garda Ashling McCarthy gave evidence that O'Neill visited the pharmacy at 9am on the day in question to collect a prescription for herself.
She later rang the pharmacy requesting a prescription for her aunt. When pharmacy staff asked to speak with O'Neill's aunt to confirm, she became agitated and abusive.
Pharmacy staff said they could not dispense the prescription unless O'Neill's aunt called at the premises.
At 10.45am, O'Neill arrived at the pharmacy with her aunt. O'Neill was aggressive and made threats to three staff members. She also made a hand gesture of slitting a throat through the shop window, which was captured on CCTV.
When gardai arrived, O'Neill continued her aggressive behaviour. She told gardai her surname was Kinahan, but the court heard she has no connection to that surname.
O'Neill made full admissions to gardai when interviewed and repeated the threats. She said staff had disrespected her aunt.
O'Neill was released on strict bail conditions on May 19, 2020 but was spotted by gardai at the pharmacy at 3.30pm. The defendant was in an aggressive and agitated state. She told one staff member that she knew where they lived.
When arrested, O'Neill said she had not threatened anyone. No victim impact statements were made. A list of O'Neill's previous convictions were handed to the court.
Gda McCarthy agreed with Keith Spencer BL defending, that pharmacy staff handed the medication to O'Neill's aunt, who had previously instructed them that O'Neill could not collect this prescription.
O'Neill did not recall much of the incident as she had been intoxicated, counsel said.
Mr Spencer expressed O'Neill's apologies to the staff members and said she had moved to another pharmacy. She regrets the incident and is full of remorse for her behaviour.
Mr Spencer said O'Neill's behaviour was out of character and a result of "intoxicated bravado". She would not have followed through on the threats which were "bravado and bluff".
She had fully cooperated with gardai, has addiction issues and was on medication at the time, he said.
Counsel said the mother of four had mental health issues and was the victim of a serious assault which required a four-week hospital stay. He said she has worked sporadically as a cleaner, most recently at the Mater Private Hospital.
Sentencing on Thursday Judge Greally said the threats appear to have been issued in a "fit of pique". She said medication cannot be dispensed freely especially to people who have dependency issues.
Judge Greally said the offence was aggravated by O'Neill's return to the pharmacy the next day. She imposed a headline sentence of 30 months on all counts, which she reduced to 20 months taking the mitigating factors into account.
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