THE man who died in a Dublin Garda station this week was one of the city's most notorious anti-social yobs.

Antonio Nunes (39) terrorised his local neighbourhood in Tallaght by masturbating in front of children as young as eight, claiming he would burn down a young mum's house and threatening to kill gardai.

The lout also tried to claim thousands of euro off Dublin Bus after running and falling down a stairs when he got on the wrong bus.

Nunes was arrested close to his home last Tuesday night for yet another public order offence -- reportedly vandalising an ESB box.

He was due in court hours later on a separate public drunkenness charge, but was found dead in a cell at Tallaght Garda Station after his arrest.

Nunes' death is now the subject of a Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission enquiry.

Today the Herald can reveal the shocking anti-social background of a criminal who terrorised his own neighbourhood for years.

Last September he appeared in court over an incident in which he threatened to burn down the home of a young female neighbour, who was living at the property with her young daughter.

Nunes was arrested by gardai after he made the threat, carrying a container of petrol and a can of beer.

Tallaght District Court refused to grant him bail at the time because gardai said they believe that Nunes' threat to burn down the woman's home was real. The court heard that the young woman was living in "significant fear" of Nunes. The matter was adjourned at the time.

In 2006 Nunes was charged over an incident in which he exposed himself to young children and claimed that he would kill a garda.

He was jailed for three months over the August 2005 incident, which took place close to his home at the green in Killinarden.

Twelve young children were present when Nunes, who was being arrested by a garda, pulled down his trousers and began masturbating.

As Nunes was being arrested and put in the Garda van he told the officer "I am going to piss all over you if you put me in there. I will kill you easy."

In a separate incident in the civil courts, Nunes had a claim thrown out in 2003 when he fell into the luggage section of a bus after swinging on a rail.

A witness told the court that Nunes shouted "It's a claim. It's a claim. I've broken my leg" after the tumble.

But the judge ruled that the fall was more than likely caused by Nunes -- whose leg was not broken -- swinging on a support rail as he rushed downstairs when realising he had got on a wrong bus. The court sent him away penniless, ordering him to pay €5,000 costs to the bus company.

As the investigation into Nunes' death continued yesterday, an area outside his family home remained sealed off.

Nunes was arrested at a green area close to his home at 8pm last Tuesday. According to local reports, he was spotted vandalising an ESB box by banging his head against it, and was arrested by gardai.

There was evidence of a small fire having being lit against a ESB junction box in the green, but it is not known if this was connected with Nunes arrest. When there was no answer at the Nunes house.

A heroin user and alcoholic, he was found dead in the Garda cell at 9pm.

hnews@herald.ie

- Conor Feehan, Cormac Looney and Charlie Mallon