AN ANTI-AUSTERITY ALLIANCE councillor has said a threatening message he sent to an activist was “a moment of madness”.

Limerick councillor John Loftus sent the message to Greg Doran in the early hours of last Sunday morning but today apologised and said the message has been “taken out of context”

The message read: “I tried to be nice. The next time I see you I’lll [sic] cut your fuckin throat. Insult me & you are dead. See you Monday.”

Speaking to TheJournal.ie today, Loftus insisted:

I’d never hurt anybody in my life, there’s no record of me hurting anybody in my life, I’ve never done anything bad to anybody.

Doran, a Limerick-based community activist, posted a screengrab of the message to Twitter and told this website it was “an awful thing” which he intended to report to the gardaí.

AAA,SP,WWP NPN or what ever they are this week,Councilour John Loftus.He doeshave a way with words.Shocking really pic.twitter.com/wiAta7PMyg — Greg Doran (@MwR2w) August 23, 2015 Source: Greg Doran /Twitter

In a statement the Limerick branch of the AAA confirmed that Loftus had sent a threatening message to Doran.

The party condemned the language used, apologised and said it would meet to discuss the situation and later outline what actions it will take on the matter.

A meeting is scheduled to take place at 7pm this evening.

Doran, who is no longer a member of the AAA but is involved in the anti-water charges movement in Limerick, claimed Loftus sent him the message after a number of heated Facebook exchanges between the pair regarding the recent de-registration of the AAA.

The AAA was removed from the register of political parties earlier this month amid ongoing talks with People Before Profit about forming a new left-wing movement. Doran queried where membership fees paid to AAA would now go and he said this angered Loftus.

“I asked him about the funds, when they took down the AAA where do the funds go? Are people who are after paying up to join due a refund? Obviously that didn’t go down well,” Doran told TheJournal.ie

Loftus, who was on holidays in France at the time, said that prior to sending the message he phoned Doran, whom he described as a friend, on Saturday evening because “he was continually making disparaging remarks about me”.

He said the pair agreed to meet on Monday but when he woke up and went on the internet later that night he saw remarks from Doran that prompted him to send the message.

I’d had enough of him. He’d made scurrilous remarks and accusations against members of the AAA.

Doran, who is also involved in the anti-phosphate movement in the area, said it was “an awful thing” that such remarks were made by a Limerick councillor given the city’s notorious reputation for stabbings.

Loftus said he was not sure whether he would be sanctioned by the AAA, but added:

I put my hand up and apologise [for] making one stupid thing and saying something like that.

Cian Prendiville, a prominent AAA councillor in Limerick, said he fully endorsed the AAA Limerick’s statement

“Such language or threats are unacceptable from anyone at anytime and completely contrary to the principles of the AAA,” he said.

He declined to comment further.

First published 1.18pm