Two men jailed for attacking gardaí at halting site
Two members of the Travelling community have been jailed for taking part in a violent attack on gardai in a halting site
Owen McDonagh Jnr (aged 23) and Thomas McDonagh (aged 22) were part of a group of men who threw missiles at gardaí, including a small motor and a rock and who threatened to kill gardaí.
The pair with an address at St Margaret's Park, Ballymun, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder at St Margarets Park on May 12, 2013.
Judge Martin Nolan imposed two-year sentences on both men but suspended one year of Owen McDonagh's sentence.
The judge suspended in full a two-year prison term on a third man, John McDonagh (aged 18) of Carton Road, Ballymun. He was aged 16 at the time of his involvement.
Garda Ronan McMorrow told Fiona Murphy BL, prosecuting, that he and another garda followed Thomas McDonagh in car into his bay in the halting site and asked him to produce insurance documentation for the car.
Mark Lynam BL, defending, said Thomas McDonagh was taking his newborn child out of the car at the time and thought there was a threat to the baby. He said his client lost control of himself.
He grabbed the garda’s official notebook as they tried to take details of the car down and told them or “f*** off or you’re dead”. He then grabbed a claw hammer and raised it over his head in a threatening manner, telling gardaí: “If you don’t leave I will open your head”.
Around 20 to 30 Travellers had gathered around the gardaí at this point and the two gardaí decided to retreat for their safety. Thomas McDonagh threw a wheel brace after them and it hit the garda patrol car.
Owen McDonagh threw a small electric motor at the car, smashing the windscreen. When gardaí went back to retrieve their notebook Thomas McDonagh swung a piece of wood at them and said he would kill them if they didn’t leave the bay.
The two others also took up a piece of wood and threatened gardaí and the gardaí retreated again. Thomas McDonagh threw a rock at them and narrowly missed hitting them.
The court heard Thomas McDonagh has 92 previous convictions including burglary and theft. Last month (September 23, 2014) he was disqualified from driving for 20 years for an offence of driving with no insurance.
Owen McDonagh has 27 previous convictions including burglary, theft and road traffic offences.
