Cootehill man who harrassed sergeant has sentence suspended

Joseph Lavery, Beech Hill, Drumnaveil, Cootehill who had been sentenced to six months in prison at Cavan Circuit Court on a count of harassing Sergeant Chris McCormack, had his case re-entered at last Friday's sitting of the court before Judge John O'Hagan. After hearing apologies and undertakings from Mr. Lavery and the concerns of Sgt. McCormack, Judge O'Hagan said Mr. Lavery had served a few days of the sentence and he was now going to suspend the remainder of that six-month sentence. He stipulated that Mr. Lavery enter into a bond, to be of good behaviour for two years and not commit any offences. Judge O'Hagan said must stay away from Sgt. McCormack, his wife and the teachers referred to in the proceedings The judge warned the defendant that if he does not do so, the €2,000 lodged will be forfeited and Mr. Lavery will go back to serve the balance of his sentence. Judge O'Hagan said that if Mr. Lavery is convicted of any public order offences or offences contrary to the non-fatal offences against the persons act within a period of two years, he will serve the remainder of his sentence. "I'm taking Mr Lavery at his word on his undertaking here today - it is up to him." At the outset, Mr. Lavery told Judge O'Hagan that he wished to apologise to anyone he had hurt. Judge O'Hagan said the big problem "here is that I have to have an assurance that this will not happen again; an assurance that Sgt. McCormack and his wife and the teachers will not be the subject of you harassing them again". Mr. Lavery said: "I will never harass anybody again and if Sgt. Mc Cormack feels I harassed him, I apologise to him for that." Sgt. McCormack told Judge O'Hagan that Mr. Lavery made life uncomfortable for a lot of people around Cootehill for the last nine years and there were people in fear of him. He asked Judge O'Hagan to take that into account in making his order.