Man in court over alleged sword attack on Garda: 'I will f****** kill you all'

Irish Daily Mirror

a day ago

This man is accused of attacking a Garda with a two foot long samurai sword - and shouting: 'I will f*****g kill you all.'
Zbigniew Pisula (45), with an address at Drimnagh Park, Ballyogan Road in Dublin, appeared before a special sitting of Dublin's District Court today charged with assaulting a Garda, possession of a samurai sword, and resisting arrest under the Public Order Act.
The court heard how gardai were alerted via a 999 call to a man allegedly walking through a housing estate at Clay Farm in Ballyogan, with a large samurai sword in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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Giving evidence of arrest, charge and caution, Detective Garda Shane Donovan of Blackrock Garda Station told the court that the accused man responded with the words 'not guilty' when charged with each alleged offence after caution.
He further told the court that gardai were preparing a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter for direction.
He told the court that the maximum sentence on conviction for the alleged section three assault is ten years imprisonment. In objecting to bail the Detective outlined the nature of the alleged incident to the court.
He stated that officers immediately responded to a public 999 call and observed a man walking around the housing estate with a samurai sword.
Detective Gda Donovan said unarmed gardai told the accused man to 'drop the sword' but he took a 'combative stance' and refused - allegedly brandishing the weapon 'in a menacing way' and swinging it towards an officer.
A garda took evasive action, he said, and pepper spray was deployed but did not have any effect. Armed gardai were called to the incident and pursued the accused who is alleged to have fled on foot as officers shouted 'armed gardai' and 'drop the weapon' at him.
The Detective told the court that the accused man ran across a green area into the front garden of a home of a family with a small child. He is alleged to have raised the sword, which was attached to a chord on his wrist, preventing him from being able to drop it.
Armed gardai drew their firearms and made verbal demands to the accused to disarm himself - and he failed to do so, the Detective told the court. The accused man is alleged to have told officers at the scene 'I will f*****g kill you all,' and 'f*****g kill me. You will all f*****g die,' and 'shoot me.'
He is alleged to have continued to say 'I will kill you,' before gardai swarmed him and made an effort to remove the sword. In making an effort to remove the sword one Garda received cuts to his hand from the weapon, the court heard - while the accused was trying to free himself and was 'actively resisting.'
At this point in court the accused man, who was sitting in the dock dressed in a white t shirt shouted and said 'I can't hear my charges.' The presiding Judge intervened and told those present in court to be silent.
Detective Gda Donovan said the samurai sword was seized - and that it is a two foot two long blade. He further stated that the alleged incident was captured on CCTV from a house across the road.
The accused man was arrested and detained and interviewed in Dundrum Garda station, where he is alleged to have told officers he was doing 'Kung Fu' training in the Clay Farm area at the time. He stated he was defending himself when gardai approached him.
Gardai objected to bail arguing there was a danger to the life and personal safety of the community - and that the accused allegedly admitted possession of the weapon.
The alleged weapon was also shown in court by the Detective - who argued there had been a disregard for the safety of the public in what was a built up residential area - and that the accused waved the weapon at officers who were standing only a few feet away.
Gardai had made numerous pleas for him to disarm himself, the Detective stated - and a Garda received a cut to his hand in what was a very volatile and dangerous situation. He further alleged that the accused man told Gardai he often trains with weapons in public. A solicitor for the accused argued for bail - stating that she did not believe the threshold under the act was met.
The presiding Judge refused bail, pointing to Gardai stating the degree and seriousness of the alleged offence. He stated that the accused had been 'caught red handed' and was captured by Gardai committing the alleged offence.
The court was satisfied, he said of the evidence and that the accused tried to evade Gardai and that his conduct amounted to a potential danger to life.
The accused was remanded into custody - to appear again before a sitting of the court via video link on Wednesday.
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