The Viper's debt collector threatened to have €4k arrears tenant's throat cut

Alan Nulty uttered the threat, and another that he would "get someone to smash your head with a hammer" while attempting to collect a debt of €4,000 in rent arrears from Wexford man Nigel Doolin.

But Nulty dodged a jail sentence over the threats, which carry a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, after the court heard he'd "no intention of carrying out the threats."

Approached by the Sunday World this week, Nulty, from Templeogue, Dublin, declined to comment on the threats.

Wexford Circuit Court heard last week how Nulty was working for a debt recovery agency run by Martin Foley when he issued the threats to kill or cause serious harm at 20 Holly Walk in Cromwellsfort on June 17 last year.

The court heard how Garda Emer O'Reilly was called to the house on that date.

On arriving at the property, she spoke to landlord David Allen, who claimed that he was owed €4,000 in rent by his tenant Nigel Doolin. He also said that he had called in the debt recovery agency run by Martin Foley.

The accused, Alan Nulty, was present too and he stated that he was there to recover property to cover the debt.

The garda heard a recording of a man with a Dublin accent, who turned out to be the accused.

The recording was made through the door of the house by Doolin.

As well as the hammer threat, the recording also picked up a warning that the tenant would have his throat slit while he was out walking his dog.

The garda witness described the tone of the threats made by the defendant as "persuasive."

The court was told that the debt recovery agency was due to take 20 per cent of whatever was recovered.

Nulty told the garda that he had no intention of carrying out any of the threats he made.

A qualified electrician and father of three, he had been working for a security firm in recent years. However, his ability to work had been affected by an arm injury sustained in a motorcycle accident four years ago.

Defending counsel accepted that what happened at Holly Walk was totally unacceptable, describing it as "a spectacular once-off lapse of judgement."

The judge described the incident at Cromwellsfort as an insidious crime with disturbing aspects to it and he decided to take a couple of days to formulate his decision.

When the case was re-called, the judge remarked that the tenant had been threatened in a very serious way.

What Nulty said was delivered in such a way as to make it believable and Doolin was rightly terrified.

It was noted that no actual violence occurred.

The seriousness of the incident was marked by the recording of a three-year jail term.

However, this sentence was suspended in full once Nulty agreed to raise €5,000 to be offered to the man he attempted to intimidate.