Young man fled Carlow in fear of his life

A YOUNG man from Carlow has been forced to flee Ireland due to credible threats made against his life arising from an unpaid drug debt, the local district court heard on Wednesday.

The man, who is not being named for his own safety, was due to appear before Carlow District Court last week. However, his solicitor told the court that he had left the country because of the intimidation.

The court heard that the windows of his mother’s home had been smashed in an attack. Inspector David Shore said that, on another occasion, several people had mistakenly entered a neighbour’s house when looking for him.

Judge Geraldine Carthy remanded the defendant in his absence and he is due to appear before a court in the south-east of the country within the coming months.

The issue of drug-related violence and intimidation in towns and cities across Ireland has been in the spotlight following a petrol bomb attack on the English family home in Waterford that killed four people, including two children.

Philip and Kim English and two of their sons, Callum (12) and Jayden (9), were murdered in an attack on the Birchwood estate in Waterford City.

Philip English’s adult son from a previous marriage said the arson attack was due to a €20,000 drug debt that had been built up by someone known to his father.

In the Dáil last week, Sinn Féin tabled a motion calling for an ‘immediate and determined crackdown’ on drug debt intimidation.

The government supported the motion. Minister for justice Jim O’Callaghan said it is “extremely important that there is a united response from Dáil Éireann to the public at large.” Last month, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, minister of state for public health, wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, announced €65,000 in additional funding to the existing €280,000 annual budget for the national DRIVE (Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement) project, which supports families and communities affected by drug-related intimidation.

“This additional funding will improve the monitoring of drug related intimidation and violence and strengthen the capacity of drug and alcohol task forces, An Garda Síochána and other agencies to respond effectively,” minister Murnane O’Connor said.

The DRIVE data report found that there were 1,027 reported cases of drug related intimidation in Ireland in 2025.