A man who wrestled a squad car driver from the vehicle after the gardaí had arrested his drunken girlfriend for her own safety, was told to provide €1,000 in compensation within two weeks or face conviction.
In court on Wednesday (January 22 ) Inspector Aidan Minnock told how gardaí were called to a disturbance in Baylough a little after midnight on January 1 to deal with a dispute between a male and a female on the street.
“When the gardaí got there the female was covered in vomit. She was extremely intoxicated and abusive, and was arrested for her own safety. The accompanying male then got very aggressive and started shouting ‘Arrest me now, you dirty p***ks’,” said the inspector.
“The gardaí attempted to leave, but the defendant opened the driver’s door and pulled out the keys. He grabbed Garda Turner by his stab vest and wrestled him out of the car. In the struggle Garda Turner was thrown to the ground and injured his knee. The defendant continued being extremely violent and aggressive towards the guards,” said the inspector.
He went on to explain that the female has yet to appear before the courts on this issue, and that Eoin Kilkenny (28 ), with an address at Cartron, Bealnamulia, Athlone had one previous conviction for possession with intent to supply drugs from April 26, 2012.
His solicitor, Mr Benny Irwin, explained how Kilkenny was a former electrician who had gone back to college and was expecting to graduate out of NUIG in 2015.
Unimpressed, Judge Seamus Hughes declared: “If you’re a drug dealer, being a student is just a front”.
“It was a bittersweet nght. It was his sister’s going-away party. He had taken anti-depressants ... he has no defence. He wouldn’t recognise Garda Turner if he was in court today,” said Mr Irwin by way of mitigation.
He continued to explain how his client’s day started at 6am and that “he is hell-bent on going to Australia”.
“They don’t like drug dealers in Australia, but then far worse than him have got in,” said the judge.
“But this was a very serious incidient. The Regional Response Unit was called. How often does that happen? It’s very rare,” noted the judge.
Mr Irwin offered €250 for the court’s poor box, and when Judge Hughes was unmoved, upped it to €500.
“Double that,” said the judge, giving him until February 5 to come up with the €1,000.
