A man who attacked an undercover garda with a baton after mistaking him for a "skinhead" mugging his teenage brother has been given a three-year suspended sentence and fined €6,000 by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Vincent Lawless (30), Clanbrassil Close, pleaded guilty to assault and possession of a weapon on September 20th, 2003.
Garda Damien O'Farrell, the victim, agreed with Lawless's counsel, Mr Fergal Foley, that he had "a tight haircut" at the time. Garda O'Farrell told Mr John Quirke, prosecuting, that he and Sgt Ger Egan were on a surveillance operation on foot of information that drugs transactions were being carried on outside a pub.
Garda O'Farrell said they saw Lawless's brother, Michael, acting suspiciously. He refused a request to search him. As they tried to arrest him, his brother, Derek Lawless, arrived.
Garda O'Farrell said that, as Michael Lawless tried to pass the package to Derek Lawless, a red van arrived. Vincent Lawless, the eldest of the brothers, alighted with a baton and attacked Garda O'Farrell. He was arrested shortly afterwards.