A man who killed a donkey by driving an iron fence bar through its skull is to be sentenced in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this morning. Allen Carmichael (22), an apprentice electrician, of Castleview, Streamstown, Malahide, pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously killing the donkey while she was confined at Malahide on May 30th, 1998.
Det Sgt Gerard Feeney told the court that the donkey, known as Salt, was jointly owned by Mr Gilbert Kirker, Dublin Road, Mala hide, and the Donkey Sanctuary, Mallow, Co Cork.
The donkey, aged 32, lived with a companion donkey, Pepper, on six acres of farmland. They were a major tourist attraction and local children on their way to school would hand-feed their lunches to them.
Mr John Lynch, a groundsman employed by Mr Kirker, found Salt lying on her side with a fence bar sticking out of her skull on May 30th, 1998.
Det Sgt Feeney said gardai had been notified of the killing of the donkey some hours earlier by two youths who had been out drinking with Carmichael. The three of them ended up in the field where they tried to ride the donkeys. One of them tried to put his arm around Salt's neck and to put his leg over but was unsuccessful.
The other youth said he had seen Carmichael hit Salt with a stick and saw him running after her. He then saw Carmichael hit her several times as she lay on the ground.
Det Sgt Feeney said the two other youths later had "a twinge of conscience" and went to Malahide Garda station to report what had happened. He immediately telephoned Carmichael's father and, even though it was after 1 a.m., he brought his son to the station within minutes.
Carmichael admitted what he done. He said he had struck Salt about 10 times with an iron bar while she lay twitching on the ground. He wanted to put the donkey out of pain and stabbed it through the head with the bar.
Judge Kieran O'Connor remanded Carmichael on continuing bail until today.