A young Mayo student, who claimed he had been attacked and left fearing for his life during a series of blows from Galway gardaí, has succeeded in contesting the assault charge against him; however, he was convicted and fined a total of €800 this week for the serious obstruction of a garda and for being intoxicated and extremely abusive.
Gardaí told Galway District Court during a recent hearing that John McDaid, Treenagleragh, Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, had attempted to stop the arrest of his best friend and had resisted his own arrest by struggling. The violent behaviour continued at Galway Garda Station where, during a failed attempt to headbutt a garda, he fell face first on the ground resulting in a cut to the lip, and had spat blood at gardaí. However, the Garda evidence was denied by the 22-year-old who, through his counsel, claimed that it was the gardaí who assaulted him in a series of attacks which resulted in a number of injuries.
In the resumed hearing this week, McDaid pleaded guilty to obstruction at Eyre Square on September 15, 2009, but denied the charges of being intoxicated, using threatening and abusive behaviour, and of assaulting Garda Brian Meaney at Galway Garda Station. After hearing evidence, Judge Fahy dismissed the assault charge but convicted McDaid of the remaining charges fining him €600 for obstruction and €100 each for being intoxicated and for threatening and abusive behaviour.
