Rep says Gardai assaulted 'daily' after lucky escape from meat cleaver attack

Irish Daily Mirror

6 days ago

Gardaí are being assaulted on a 'daily basis', a representative has said amid a terrifying meat cleaver attack on an officer in Co Roscommon.
The Irish Mirror reported on Wednesday how brave Garda Gary Murphy told how he was lucky to escape with his life when drug dealer Gerard Forte struck him with a meat cleaver as he searched his house in an incident in December 2023.
The shocking facts of the case were unveiled for the first time during a court hearing on Tuesday - in which Garda Murphy spoke about his belief that Forte was trying to kill him that night.
And speaking as Forte was remanded into custody, the Garda Representative Association's (GRA) Eoin Browne commended the bravery of Garda Murphy and his colleague Garda Michael Fox, who were attacked that day - as he highlighted the wider issues of officers being attacked almost every day.
Garda Browne, who represents the Roscommon and Longford divisions of the GRA told us: 'Two Gardaí, while conducting a search during the course of their duty, were violently assaulted and both members were lucky to escape with their lives.
'We have one member (Garda Michael Fox) still out sick as a result of undergoing constant medical treatment. Another member gave a very impactful victim impact statement where he was attacked with a meat cleaver with his back turned and only for the grace of God, he could have been killed.
'It very easily could have been a lethal situation,' he said.
Garda Browne said the incident highlights the all-too-common events where officers in the region are putting their lives on the line.
'I just want to highlight the fact that these assaults on Gardaí are going on on a daily basis and are not just confined to the bigger urban areas.
'Towns like Roscommon have violent criminals as well and we just need to highlight the manpower issues in two counties where there's just such a shortage of Gardaí and this has been going on now a number of years,' he said.
His comments come as Garda Gary Murphy told a hearing of Roscommon Circuit Court that he had no doubt that Gerard Forte, 29, of Castlepark, Co Roscommon, 'tried to fatally injure me' when he swung the weapon at him after officers with a warrant had to forcibly enter their way into his home on December 27, 2023.
Forte, 29, pleaded guilty to assaulting both Garda Murphy and his colleague Garda Michael Fox - as well as producing a knife - namely a 'meat cleaver'.
Forte, who the court heard already has a conviction for sale and supply of drugs and threatening and abusive behaviour, also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply on that same date.
The court heard that Garda Murphy was saved by Garda Fox, who struggled with Forte on the floor and couch of his home before managing to restrain him with handcuffs.
The drugs unit officers had made their way into the home, repeatedly shouting 'Gardaí', the court heard, as they executed a warrant to search his home on the suspicion that he was supplying drugs in Roscommon town.
In a powerful victim impact statement read out in court, Garda Murphy, who has had to undergo physiotherapy and has ongoing issues due to the incident, said he feels he is lucky not to have been killed by Forte on that night.
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'The phrase injured 'on Duty' or 'in the line of Duty' cannot ever be justified or comprehended when a Garda is brutally attacked,' he told the court.
"My attack on the 27th of December 2023 could easily have been fatal.
"The actions of Gerard Forte could easily have caused me to be remembered as a number on the wall of Templemore.'
The Garda said his loved ones could all have ended up 'mourning the loss of another Garda member killed in the line of duty'.
'It seems somewhat unfair for only me to give a victim impact statement because the reality is, is that this attack affects many, many more people than just me,' Garda Murphy told the court.
'The fear that I may be attacked again, is our reality. The fear that next time, I won't be so lucky, is our reality.
'My tour of duty the evening of the 27th of December 2023, I have no doubt in my mind could have been my last,' he added.
'I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Gerard Forte tried to fatally injure me.
"His actions on the night, coming to the window looking out, knowing who was at the door, his only thought was to return to his bedroom, find the biggest knife he had and attempt to strike me on the back of the head when my back was turned.'
Garda Murphy said Forte's actions were 'all the thoughts of a person that was trying to strike a fatal blow'.
He told the court that when the struggle continued into the sitting room, Forte was again trying to strike his colleague Garda Fox with the same knife.
'I believe there was only one thing on his mind. Only for the quick actions of Garda Michael Fox, I would not be here today, that's my reality,' Garda Murphy told the court.
He received a laceration to his left shoulder from the strike of the knife, he said - and his clothing was cut through from the impact of the blade.
He believed that he now had an 'irreversible rotator cuff injury' to his shoulder and injuries he would continue needing treatment for. The court also heard that Garda Michael Fox was still off duty due to injuries he had received in the incident.
Garda Murphy said the incident will stay with him forever.
'To believe how close I came to death will stay with me forever,' he told the court.
He said he found it 'extremely difficult to return to front line policing' but he did so to 'save myself'.
'I have dedicated the past two and half years of my service and life to the Divisional Drugs Unit in an attempt to reduce the amount of controlled drugs in the Counties of Roscommon and Longford,' he added.
"This night of the 27th of December 2023 has not only made me question working within such a unit but also working within An Garda Síochána as an organisation at all.
'There is no way this would be the "norm", in any other public sector job. If someone walked into a Hospital and attacked a Nurse or a Doctor, the country would be rightly up in arms. However, the reality is, is that this is happening to Garda members every day of the week,' he said.
'Garda members are getting attacked 'in the line of duty' daily. Ordinary people, like me, take on the career of Members of An Garda Síochána, protecting and serving the communities of Ireland. If Garda members are being attacked, how can anyone feel safe?
'However, Gardaí are every day, even now, working to protect the people and to detect and prevent crime, it's what we do,' he said.
Garda Murphy said the attack affects the wider community and the residents of Roscommon town. He said it occurred when he executed a search warrant - because "I believed that Gerard Forte was involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs in Roscommon Town".
'I was fully justified in my belief,' he told the court. 'There is no way he can be justified in his."
'Gerard Forte, has never offered an apology for his actions, if he does today, it is solely as a mitigating factor. His demeanour towards the Garda Staff and Gardaí when he signs on bail, can only be described as repulsive,' he continued.
'A clear message must be sent out that such attacks on Garda members is not acceptable, and cannot be tolerated.
'90 names on the walls of Templemore is too many, today, I feel like the lucky one.'