A man who took part in a violent attack on a car containing four children, including a toddler, has received a six-year jail term with 18 months suspended.
Michael McDonagh (34) was one of three men who used baseball bats to smash all the windows in the car before turning on the children’s mother.
McDonagh, Dunsink Lane, Finglas, pleaded guilty to violent disorder in a supermarket car park in Finglas, on April 15th, 2011. He has five previous convictions and in February 2008 he received a three-year suspended sentence for violent disorder.
The court was told at a previous hearing that the three men were involved in a feud with the father of the children and recognised his car when the children’s mother had parked it at the shopping centre.
Broken glass
In her victim impact statement, Bridgette Collins told Judge Mary Ellen Ring that the sight of her two-year-old trapped in the car as broken glass rained in on them was something no mother should ever have to witness. She said she was then two months pregnant and her biggest fear was that she would miscarry. She has since given birth to a healthy girl.
Garda Mark Reilly told Anne Rowland, prosecuting, that Ms Collins was in the supermarket when she heard her eight-year-old daughter screaming. She saw three men using a baseball bat to smash the car windows while her two-year-old was in a baby seat in the back.
McDonagh and a co-accused Anthony McDonnell were seen kicking the car. Ms Collins said she was screaming at the men and “desperately” trying to get her baby out when she felt blows from the baseball bat to the back of her legs.
The court heard that another co-accused, David McDonnell was shouting at her: “I’m going to kill your husband. I’m going to stab him to death” before his brother dragged him away.
A female passerby reached into the car, unbuckled the child and shouted at Ms Collins that she had the baby. Judge Ring said that this woman should be commended for intervening.
Previous offences
At an earlier hearing, David McDonnell (31), Rathvilly Park, Finglas, was sentence to four years with the final 2½ suspended. He has 36 previous convictions for road traffic offences.
Anthony McDonnell (32), Dunsink Green, Finglas, was sentenced to four years with all but 15 months suspended. He has 17 previous convictions.