Latest news with #CriminalDamageAct1991
Sunday World
19-07-2025
- Sunday World
Man who threatened to shoot garda and spat blood in patrol car has jail term overturned
Thomas McDonagh (23) had pleaded not guilty in the District Court to four charges A man who threatened to shoot a garda, acted 'extremely aggressively' and spat blood in a patrol car has had his six-month prison sentence replaced with a suspended term on appeal. Thomas McDonagh (23) with a last address at St Margaret's Park, Ballymun, Dublin made threats to a garda member's life and repeatedly squirted Lucozade at him. McDonagh had pleaded not guilty in the District Court to four charges including failure to comply with a garda member under section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, obstruction of a peace officer under section 19 of the act and threatening and abusive behaviour under section 6 of the same act. He also faced a charge for the criminal damage of a garda car under section 2(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1991. He was convicted of all four charges and given a sentence of six months in custody, a term against which he later appealed. Dublin District Court Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 19th Garda Pierce O'Dwyer told the District Court Appeals Court on Monday that he responded to a call at St Margaret's Park in Ballymun on May 12, 2023. He said that gardaí were surrounded by ten to 12 men who were demanding that they leave and were acting aggressively. Garda O'Dwyer said that McDonagh was 'extremely aggressive from the start' and shouted a number of threats at him, including that he knew where he lived and that he would shoot him. He said that McDonagh sprayed him twice with a bottle of Lucozade and continued to be aggressive with him. Garda O'Dwyer said that McDonagh was arrested, handcuffed and conveyed to a garda station, where his aggressive behaviour continued and he spat blood in a garda car, resulting in a cleaning fee of 52 euro. Defence counsel for McDonagh, Paul Larkin Coyle BL, said his client now accepts that his behaviour was totally unacceptable and was appealing the case on the severity of his sentence only. Mr Coyle said McDonagh was 'begging for a chance' so that he can be present for his children and that his client made an apology to the garda and the court for his behaviour. Mr Larkin said that McDonagh's pregnant wife was in hospital at the time of the incident, and McDonagh 'got lost in the emotion of it' and 'totally lost the head'. He said that his client is now the father of twins, understands the error of his ways and has removed himself from a situation where he was getting in trouble. The court heard that McDonagh has 22 previous convictions, including incidents of theft, criminal damage and the possession of a knife. Judge Christopher Callan said that McDonagh's actions were serious and it was 'difficult to see how the court can have much sympathy for him' after he threatened to shoot a garda and behaved aggressively. Judge Callan said that the job of a garda in this day and age is very difficult and what McDonagh did 'does not make it easy'. He said that what McDonagh did to the garda was 'completely unacceptable' but it does appear that he is turning a corner in his life since the incident. Judge Callan decided to suspend McDonagh's six month sentence for a period of two years on the condition that he keeps the peace, engages with the probation services and provides a donation of 500 euro to the Capuchin Day Centre. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Irish Independent
19-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Man who threatened to shoot garda and spat blood in patrol car has jail term overturned on appeal
Thomas McDonagh (23) with a last address at St Margaret's Park, Ballymun, Dublin made threats to a garda member's life and repeatedly squirted Lucozade at him. McDonagh had pleaded not guilty in the District Court to four charges including failure to comply with a garda member under section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, obstruction of a peace officer under section 19 of the act and threatening and abusive behaviour under section 6 of the same act. He also faced a charge for the criminal damage of a garda car under section 2(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1991. He was convicted of all four charges and given a sentence of six months in custody, a term against which he later appealed. Garda Pierce O'Dwyer told the District Court Appeals Court on Monday that he responded to a call at St Margaret's Park in Ballymun on May 12, 2023. He said that gardaí were surrounded by ten to 12 men who were demanding that they leave and were acting aggressively. Garda O'Dwyer said that McDonagh was 'extremely aggressive from the start' and shouted a number of threats at him, including that he knew where he lived and that he would shoot him. He said that McDonagh sprayed him twice with a bottle of Lucozade and continued to be aggressive with him. Garda O'Dwyer said that McDonagh was arrested, handcuffed and conveyed to a garda station, where his aggressive behaviour continued and he spat blood in a garda car, resulting in a cleaning fee of 52 euro. Defence counsel for McDonagh, Paul Larkin Coyle BL, said his client now accepts that his behaviour was totally unacceptable and was appealing the case on the severity of his sentence only. Mr Coyle said McDonagh was 'begging for a chance' so that he can be present for his children and that his client made an apology to the garda and the court for his behaviour. Mr Larkin said that McDonagh's pregnant wife was in hospital at the time of the incident, and McDonagh 'got lost in the emotion of it' and 'totally lost the head'. He said that his client is now the father of twins, understands the error of his ways and has removed himself from a situation where he was getting in trouble. The court heard that McDonagh has 22 previous convictions, including incidents of theft, criminal damage and the possession of a knife. Judge Christopher Callan said that McDonagh's actions were serious and it was 'difficult to see how the court can have much sympathy for him' after he threatened to shoot a garda and behaved aggressively. Judge Callan said that the job of a garda in this day and age is very difficult and what McDonagh did 'does not make it easy'. He said that what McDonagh did to the garda was 'completely unacceptable' but it does appear that he is turning a corner in his life since the incident. Judge Callan decided to suspend McDonagh's six month sentence for a period of two years on the condition that he keeps the peace, engages with the probation services and provides a donation of 500 euro to the Capuchin Day Centre. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
The Irish Sun
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
‘Our vision of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland' – New laws incoming to promote hate crime reporting
NEW laws are set to promote hate-crime reporting when a property is attacked, including places of worship. The Rural Safety Plan will enforce appropriate laws, including the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 and the Criminal Damage Act 1991, to encourage reporting This means that site security surveys at high-risk or targeted facilities will be carried out by divisional crime prevention officers. The reforms will be implemented "in line with our vision of a safe, fair, and inclusive Ireland," according to A major focus will also be placed on road policing, including a review of speed enforcement zones and intelligence-led operations by specialist Driver fatigue will also form part of public awareness, along with other READ MORE ON GARDA Another priority focus will be on burglary and theft, with the new plan encouraging the promotion and use of crime-prevention products and The new plan states that burglary and theft crimes will be reduced due to new community-based alert and property-marking schemes with the rural stakeholders and the intelligence-led operations by garda units. And the new Community Policing Framework will be launched soon with the Garda Older People Strategy, where the public is encouraged to report suspicious activity, including by text alerts and neighbourhood watch schemes. The Garda Property Register app will also be introduced, allowing householders to register their valuables as a record in case a burglary or theft later occurs. Most read in Irish News Additionally, the Fresh Garda appeal in search for missing Imelda Keenan after she left flat to run errands 31 years ago & never returned He states that he wants to avoid further burglaries as they have "a deeply traumatic impact on victims in both urban and rural areas". For the new scheme to work, the Gardai, local and central government, and the public and crime prevention polices will work together to make communities safer. DECREASED BURGLARY CRIMES Gardai recently reported that residential burglaries have decreased by 75 per cent over the past decade due to their Garda Operation Thor, which targets and prevents burglaries across the country. They said: "We recognise the long lasting impact any burglary has not just on the victim but on communities, both rural and urban. "Operation Thor aims to target and prevent burglaries across the country. "The winter phase of Operation Thor runs each year from the 1st of October until the 31st of March the following year." They added: "Residential burglaries in the 2024/2025 winter phase represents an average of approximately 17 burglaries per day across the 26 counties, or less than one residential burglary per day per county. "During the 2024-2025 winter phase of Operation Thor, there were over 900 arrests for incidents linked to the operation and over 2,000 charges including burglary, aggravated burglary, or possession of an article." 1 The new plan hopes to promote hate crime reporting Credit: � 2023 PA Media, All Rights Reserved
Irish Independent
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
New Rural Safety Plan will promote hate-crime reporting where property is attacked
The plan will see the enforcement of relevant legislation, such as the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 and the Criminal Damage Act 1991, to bolster hate-crime reporting 'where property is targeted for hate-motivated graffiti, criminal damage, eg attacks on places of worship'. Divisional crime prevention officers will be utilised to 'conduct site security surveys at sites that are high risk, or have been targeted'. Housing Minister James Browne – who had been junior justice minister with responsibility for law reform at the time the plan was devised – said the measures would be introduced 'in line with our vision of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland'. Roads policing will also be a central focus, with a review of speed enforcement zones and intelligence-led operations by specialist garda units, co-ordinated via regional intelligence hubs nationwide and multi-agency partnership checkpoints. Driver fatigue, as well as other road-safety issues, will form part of public awareness campaigns. Burglary and theft will be another priority, with the plan encouraging the promotion and 'use of crime-prevention products and technologies'. The scheme notes that burglary and theft will be reduced, with 'community-based alert and property-marking schemes in partnership with rural stakeholders,' and with 'intelligence-led operations by garda units… co-ordinated through regional intelligence hubs nationwide reacting to crime trends'. A Community Policing Framework will be rolled out with the garda Older People Strategy. The public will be encouraged to report suspicious activity, including by text alerts and neighbourhood watch schemes. The Garda Property Register app will be promoted, where householders can register their valuables as a record should a burglary or theft later take place. And the Department of Justice is welcoming applications from youth diversion projects to introduce community initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour, such as teenagers riding scrambler bikes. Junior justice minister Niall Collins said safety for rural communities requires a multi-agency, multi-sectoral and government-wide approach. Gardaí, local and central government, the public, and crime-prevention officers, among others, will work to make communities safer, according to the proposals. 'Burglaries, as violations of people's homes or businesses, have a deeply traumatic impact on victims in both urban and rural areas. In more dispersed rural areas, that traumatic impact can be felt across a very broad community,' Mr Collins said. 'In addition to burglaries, work in areas such as roads policing and animal crime is hugely important for people and communities in rural Ireland to feel safe and be safe in their homes, places of work, and their local environments. 'I'm working with all stakeholders, including An Garda Síochána, to expand successful approaches to tackling crime in these areas in the new plan.' Gardaí recently reported that residential burglaries have fallen 75pc in a decade due to a garda operation targeting home thefts. Codenamed Operation Thor, the targeted garda initiative identifies organised crime gangs and repeat offenders to cut burglaries.
