Travellers jailed for attack on gardaí at halting site

Two Travellers have been jailed for participating in a violent attack on gardaí at a halting site.

Owen McDonagh jnr (23) and Thomas McDonagh (22) were part of a group of men who threw missiles at gardaí, including a small motor and a rock and who threatened to kill officers.

The pair, with an address at St Margarets Park, Ballymun, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder at St Margarets Park on May 12th, 2013. Judge Martin Nolan imposed two-year sentences on both men but suspended one year of Owen McDonagh's sentence. The judge suspended in full a two-year prison term on a third man, John McDonagh (18) of Carton Road, Ballymun. He was aged 16 at the time of his involvement.

Garda Ronan McMorrow told Fiona Murphy, prosecuting, that he and another garda followed Thomas McDonagh in car into his bay in the halting site and asked him to produce insurance documentation for the car.

Mark Lynam, defending, said Thomas McDonagh was taking his newborn child out of the car at the time and thought there was a threat to the baby. He said his client lost control of himself. He grabbed the garda’s official notebook as they tried to take details of the car down and told them “f**k off or you’re dead”.

He then grabbed a claw hammer and raised it over his head in a threatening manner, telling gardaí: “If you don’t leave I will open your head”.

About 20 to 30 Travellers had gathered around the officers at this point and the two gardaí decided to withdraw. Thomas McDonagh threw a wheel brace after them and it hit the patrol car.

Owen McDonagh threw a small electric motor at the car, smashing the windscreen. When gardaí returned to retrieve their notebook Thomas McDonagh swung a piece of wood at them and said he would kill them if they didn’t leave the bay. The two others also threatened officers and the gardaí again withdrew.

Thomas McDonagh threw a rock at them and narrowly missed hitting them. The court heard Thomas McDonagh has 92 previous convictions including burglary and theft. Last month (September 23rd, 2014) he was disqualified from driving for 20 years for the offence of driving without insurance. Owen McDonagh has 27 previous convictions including burglary, theft and road traffic offences.