An skilled Garda has advised how he felt like a “sitting duck” after being trapped and set upon in his patrol automotive throughout a terrifying assault in Co Donegal.
Garda Fiachra O’Hara was set upon by burly John Martin Ward after he went to reply reviews of a public order incident alone.
When he arrived on the scene of the decision at Supervalu Automotive Park in Bundoran on the night of July twenty first, 2021 he discovered a big crowd beside a caravan.
He all of a sudden heard somebody shout “get the keys” and he was approached by Ward, 40.
Ward appeared at Donegal Circuit Court docket this week after he pleaded to assault inflicting hurt to Garda O’Hara throughout the terrifying incident.
The courtroom heard how Ward, who has 137 earlier convictions, tried to tug the keys from the Garda patrol automotive however courageous Garda O’Hara struggled with him.
The Garda was hemmed in and drunken Ward grabbed his thumb and twisted it and straining it badly.
So badly injured was his hand that Garda O’Hara couldn’t use sufficient power to unleash his pepper spray.
Ward managed to flee the scene after he was pushed away by his mom.
He was arrested after he offered himself to Ballyshannon Garda Station a number of days afterward July twenty seventh.
Ward, with an handle at Nation Meadows, Tuam in Co Galway, mentioned he had no recollection of the assault on Garda O’Hara.
Barrister for the State, Mr Donal Keane, BL, mentioned that in Garda interview, Ward mentioned that if he did assault the Garda that he was actually sorry. Nevertheless, he added “However I’m not accepting it, I’ll have to search out out extra.”
A sufferer affect assertion on behalf of Garda O’Hara mentioned that in virtually 30 years as a member of An Garda Siochana this was probably the most scary expertise he had endured.
“In these 30 years I’ve been at quite a few, problematic and hostile conditions however none just like the one on July twenty fourth, 2021. I used to be an entire sitting duck when John Martin Ward lunged into the patrol automotive and I used to be then his prisoner,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that though the confrontation solely lasted about 30 seconds it felt like an age and advised how his attacker grabbed and squashed his thumb as he tried to maintain him away from the keys of the Garda patrol automotive.
Garda O’Hara mentioned he lastly managed to get out of the patrol automotive and tried to take down Ward together with his pepper spray however his thumb was so broken and weak that it simply wouldn’t operate.
“This was a confrontation I didn’t stand an opportunity in,” his assertion added.
Taking to the stand, Ward mentioned he wished to apologise once more to Garda O’Hara revealing how he had already known as into Ballyshannon Garda Station and apologised to him in particular person.
He advised how he had battled the scourge of alcohol all his life after his father walked out on his mom and siblings when he was simply 13 years outdated.
He mentioned that drink has been on the root of all his issues saying he has by no means been arrested when he was sober.
The married father-of-two mentioned he has now utilized to enroll and take a 16 month residential programme on the Tiglin Males’s Rehabilitation Centre in County Wicklow and was hopeful of getting assist there.
Ward mentioned he’d wish to turn out to be sober, to be there for his youngsters and grandchild and “simply to be a traditional particular person.”
His barrister, Mr Colm Smith, SC, referred to proof given earlier within the case by native Garda Sergeant Stewart Doyle who mentioned he solely ever encountered Ward when he was drunk.
Mr Smith mentioned that each one of Ward’s issues appear deep-rooted in a helpless addicted state of affairs however now that he has been in jail for a while he has mended his methods.
He recommended to Choose John Aylmer that there should be some gentle on the finish of the tunnel for Ward and hopefully he can start his rehabilitation correctly when he will get out of jail.
Choose Aylmer mentioned this was a really traumatising occasion for Garda O’Hara and that whereas thankfully the bodily accidents weren’t too extreme he was extraordinarily terrorised and the way that was not troublesome to think about.
“He was alone and the accused disabled him and climbed in on high of him. Gardai are performing a really harmful job and so they want the safety of the legislation to discourage one of these offence,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that whereas he was restricted to a most sentence of 5 years for this offence, he positioned it within the mid vary of such offending and one which merited a jail sentence of three years earlier than mitigation.
In mitigation, he mentioned Ward had been remorseful and whereas it was not an excuse however fairly an evidence he famous the accused was drunk as he was for a lot of of his different offences.
He deserved credit score for sparing the courtroom a trial and that coupled together with his efforts in rehabilitation, he lowered the preliminary recommended sentence from three years to one in every of two years.
And though he recommended it’s starting to seem like a waste of time, he mentioned he was suspending the ultimate 9 months of that sentence which means Ward will serve 15 months in jail.
Nevertheless, one of many situations for the suspension of the ultimate 9 months is that he abstain from alcohol for 18 months after his launch.
Choose Aylmer added that he is aware of this might be troublesome for Ward however warns that he’ll serve the stability of the sentence if he doesn’t abstain.
He additionally ordered him to interact with the probation companies and undertake no matter dependancy counselling help is made accessible to him.
Garda felt like “a sitting duck” throughout terrifying assault in patrol automotive was final modified: December fifteenth, 2023 by
