Carlow man jailed for threatening to kill garda ‘stone dead’
Carlow courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke
A 65-YEAR-old Carlow man with over 100 previous convictions has been jailed for two months after verbally abusing and threatening a garda in Carlow town. Eddie Dundon of Kernanstown, Co Carlow appeared before Judge Geraldine Carthy at Carlow District Court charged with public order offences on two separate dates in December.
The court heard that on 13 December 2025, while on patrol at Potato Market, Carlow town, gardaí found Mr Dundon shouting at members of the public with an alcohol can on the ground at his feet. He verbally abused Garda Lane, calling him “a baldy c**t” and threatening that he would “kill him stone dead”.
Mr Dundon was arrested and later charged at Carlow Garda Station.
On 24 December 2025 at 8.30pm, gardaí received a report of an intoxicated male in Carlow town, who was refusing to leave the area. While en route to the incident, a garda saw Mr Dundon on Dublin Street and noted there was a strong smell of alcohol, he had slurred speech and was unable to hold up his own body weight. He was subsequently arrested and later charged.
The court heard that Mr Dundon has 113 previous convictions, 66 of which are section 4 public order offences and 21 of which are section 6 offences. His most recent conviction was on 10 December 2025 for a section 4 public order offence, for which he received a €200 fine.
Solicitor Joe Farrell told the court that “a huge majority of his previous are related to the same offences” and asked the court to give his client credit for not looking for bail and for entering a guilty plea. In mitigation, Mr Farrell mentioned Mr Dundon’s recent loss of accommodation and said his client was worried that if he went into custody there would be repercussions regarding his social welfare.
“I would ask the court not to impose custody … alcohol is a huge issue for him,” said Mr Farrell, adding that his client “has no recollection of calling Garda Lane those names” but that “he’s taking responsibility for it”.
Judge Carthy said: “There are two section 4s and a section 6, which is more serious; this doesn’t make for nice reading from the day in question.
“I’ve tried to meet Mr Dundon halfway and those attempts have failed,” she added.
For the section 6 offence, Mr Dundon was sentenced to two months in custody. The section 4 offences were taken into consideration.
