This article is from page 16 of the 2006-10-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
A SHANNON man who went ‘berserk’ at a Garda station, verbally abused gardaí and kicked out, has been jailed for three months.
Michael James McDonagh (33), of Ballycaseymore, Shannon, was convicted of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at Shannon Garda Station, on April 9, 2005, in the District Court. He appealed this at Ennis Circuit Court yesterday (Monday), but his appeal was dismissed.
Sergeant Noel McMahon told the court that McDonagh and his wife were in the public area of Shannon Garda Station.
The garda took a certificate of insurance from McDonagh’s wife and was going to photocopy it, as he had to go to the airport on other business. McDonagh then became agitated.
“He tried to come in the hatch window. Garda David Laing had to force him out. He called Garda Laing a scumbag,” said the sergeant.
“He (McDonagh) told me he had injured his finger. I didn’t see any mark on it,” he added.
Garda Brian McCarthy, who was also in the station at the time, said Garda Laing had to physically push McDonagh out the window.
“He started kicking the door. We tried to calm him down, he was shouting,” said Gda McCarthy.
Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said there was no intent on the part of her client to breach the peace. Judge Carroll Moran replied, “On the garda evidence, he was certainly doing that, and more.”
McDonagh told the court he “lost the head” after Garda Laing pushed the hatch out on his finger. He admitted calling Gardaí McCarthy and Laing ‘scumbags’ and ‘assholes, but said he did not attack the gardaí.
State Solicitor Martin Linnane, in cross-examination, asked McDonagh why he called the gardaí names. He replied, “Because he hurt me.”
Mr Linnane said, “You hurt yourself getting through the hatch.”
Ms Godfrey said her client was “frustrated” and didn’t understand the delay in processing the insurance.
She said a verbal disagreement was not sufficient for a conviction for breaching the peace.
Judge Moran said McDonagh went “berserk” and was very abusive.
“He tried to get through the hatch. He called gardaí scumbags and assholes and he was kicking the wall of the public office. These were acts of violence. He just went out of control.”
He dismissed the appeal. The threemonth sentence will run consecutively with a four-year term currently being served by McDonagh, who has several previous convictions.