SHOCKED mourners watched as a former US marine who had queued to sympathise with the bereaved family in a West Cork funeral home, started to assault the corpse in the open coffin, a court heard yesterday.
Mr Willis Baynes-Nash who now lives in Keel, Macroom, Co Cork, had been drinking gin and tonics after hearing of a friend's death from cancer and that his aunt had had a heart attack. He remembered going into the funeral home, he said.
He approached the coffin containing the body of Mr Mattie Twomey in the Ballyvourney funeral home and stunned relatives of the dead man when he suddenly started striking the body with his cap, urging it to wake up.
"I thought I was in a dream. I went up and saw the corpse. I hit it and said, `Wake up, wake up", confessed Mr Baynes-Nash, who said he did not know the dead man.
The 6 ft 4 in tall American was escorted out by upset mourners, where he threatened and assaulted the undertaker's son, Mr Gary Lynch. Mr Baynes-Nash, who is in his mid-40s, then went to Lucey's Supermarket where he threatened to kill Mrs Tess Lucey, who is wheelchair-bound.
The ex-marine, who once did voluntary work with the disabled, then jumped over a 4 ft wall and chased after the Lynchs' terrified 15-year-old son, Jimmy.
His father, Mr Christy Lucey, ran to the boy's rescue and he told the court that Mr Baynes-Nash threatened him and waved something at him that he thought looked like a syringe. He said he would put it through his eye, although the object turned out to be a biro.
The two men wrestled and after kicking Mr Lucey in the stomach, the ex-marine lay on top of him and pinned him to the ground. Off-duty Garda Pat O'Sullivan arrived on the scene and with the help of some locals, arrested the American.
Mr Baynes-Nash pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Gary Lynch, Mrs Tess Lucey and Mr Christy Lucey on March 24th.
He told Macroom District Court he was on a drinking binge after his aunt had had a heart attack and a friend had died from cancer. He was drinking in Macroom, then went to Clondrohid and caught a taxi to Ballyvourney, where he wandered into the funeral home.
An amazed Judge Brendan Wallace said it was a "very distasteful offence" and so serious he needed time to think about a suitable penalty.
He adjourned the case until June 18th.