Man threatened to tie up, chop open and stab woman to death, trial hears
Olivia Kelleher
A 21-year-old man texted his probation officer and said that he planned to tie up, chop open and stab to death a young woman he had previously served time for harassing, a court has heard.
Earlier this week, Ruairi Lally of Wainsfort, Rochestown Road in Cork, pleaded guilty to the charge that in September 2025 he made a threat to kill or cause serious harm to the woman.
Dt Sgt Pat Lyons told a sitting of Cork Circuit Criminal Court that on the afternoon of September 27th last year, Lally sent text messages to his probation officer stating that he was “going to hurt her (the young woman) badly” and “chop her open and stab her to death.”
Judge Sinead Behan heard that Lally also sent his probation officer a screenshot of a message that he had typed up but not texted to the object of his obsession.
In it he said, “We’re going to hurt you seriously, tie you up and kick you to death, getting you chopped and murdered and enjoy every second of it.”
The probation officer was alarmed and immediately contacted the gardaí. Lally subsequently admitted sending the messages to his probation officer.
In his garda interviews, Lally said that he wanted to go back to prison “and would do anything to achieve that.”
Dt Sgt Lyons outlined the background to the case. The court heard that the young woman met up with Lally at a concert in June of 2023, having started communicating with him on social media two months earlier.
However, she felt uncomfortable with him at the concert. Soon afterwards, she told him to stop contacting her and blocked him on social media.
Lally continued to contact the injured party. She reported the matter to gardaí who approached the accused and told him to cease this activity.
The woman had to make another complaint to gardaí in October 2023. Gardaí again warned him to stop contacting her.
The situation continued to escalate. Lally had to be brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court on Christmas Eve in 2023.
The following year, Lally pleaded guilty to the harassment of the teenage girl when she was 17, and he was a year older.
Lally was jailed for two years for harassment in July 2024. One year of the sentence was suspended on condition that he would not contact the victim directly or indirectly.
Dt Sgt Lyons said that Lally resumed texting the woman upon his release from prison. A three-month proportion of his suspended sentence was imposed, and Lally again returned to prison.
In September of last year, gardaí obtained a civil restraining order against Lally.
Under its terms, he was barred from having any contact with the young woman for five years.
He was released from prison in the same month, and within a matter of weeks, he had sent the texts at the centre of the case to his probation officer.
Dt Sgt Lyons said that Lally was “obsessed” with the young woman, who in turn was “terrified of him.” A victim impact statement was handed over to Judge Behan for her consideration.
Dt Sgt Lyons said that the victim in the case wasn’t in court as she didn’t want to be in the same room as Lally.
Judge Behan was told that Lally has two previous convictions. — one for the original harassment and one for possession of a knife.
The latter conviction arose when Lally was found to have a knife in his possession at a remand hearing for the original harassment charge.
Dgt Sgt Lyons said that Lally had a diagnosis of autism. He told the court that the parents of the young man were “very good and decent people” who had done their best by their son.
Defence barrister Elaine Audley, BL, said that her client was remorseful for his actions. Judge Behan expressed concern about the support available to Lally upon his release from prison.
She directed the preparation of reports in the case and extended legal aid to cover their preparation. Lally was remanded in continuing custody. He will next appear in court on March 5th next.
