A farmer has been found guilty of using threatening, abusive and insulting words towards a neighbouring farmer during a long-running dispute over a missing dog, Gort District Court heard.
Judge Adrian Harris found Brian Gill, 44, of Cahermore, Kinvara, Co Galway, guilty of the offences against Brian Murphy in two incidents, on May 21, 2025, and February 2 this year. The court heard the words were used with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.
Gill was not convicted of either offence. Instead, Judge Harris applied the Probation Act for one year and told Gill that he must complete an anger management course if the Probation Service recommends it. The judge said there was context to the offences and clear ill feeling between the two men going back some time.
Murphy told the court that during the May 21, 2025 incident at Caherawoneen South, Kinvara, Gill accused him of stealing his dog and said “I will get you” as they met while driving on a narrow road at around 9pm. Murphy said he knew nothing about the dog and did not speak to Gill.
Gill told the court his dog went missing on May 19, 2025, and that he received a phone call on July 1 saying the dog was 35km away. He said the dog did not walk 35 kilometres. He denied threatening Murphy, saying he asked where his dog was and that Murphy called him a fool. Gill said he replied: “You are the only fool who sells top soil from his farm.”
He said three people told him the dog had been seen in the back of Murphy’s yard, but he declined to identify them. Gill also said Murphy had a sarcastic smile, which raised his suspicions, and that he believed Murphy knew something about the dog.
Counsel for Gill, Martin Durack, said there was an agrarian background to the incident and past disputes over fences. Under cross-examination by Insp Daragh Browne, Gill said he was angry because the matter had been going on for 10 years and that it was the 15th time he had been in court over “this fella”, directly or indirectly.