Detective feared for his life as gardaí evacuate station after attack at Ballymun halting site

Declan Brennan

Gardaí evacuated a busy Garda Station to respond to a call for backup when a detective came under attack in a local halting site, a court has heard.

Detective Garda John Pirollo told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he believed his life was in danger when John McDonagh (36) drove at him and attempted to pin him between his own car and the garda patrol car. McDonagh went on to attempt to strangle Det Gda Pirollo when he persisted in trying to arrest him, the court heard.

McDonagh, of Bay 10, St Margaret’s Park halting site, Ballymun, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm of Det Gda Pirollo on at the halting site on August 20, 2023. The plea was accepted on the basis of full facts being put before the court. He was jailed on Tuesday for two and a half years.

Detective Sergeant Michael Martin told the court that McDonagh's 23 previous convictions include assault, obstruction of a police officer, criminal damage, drug offences and careless driving.

He was convicted in October last year of making a threat to kill or cause serious harm on April 4rd, 2023, and received a suspended prison term.

Det Sgt Martin agreed with Keith Spencer, defending, that there are no other charges before the court but said that the defendant was a “serious person” of interest in a variety of cases.

He told Emmet Nolan BL, prosecuting, that at around 10.30am on the day of the offence, Det Gda Pirollo stopped McDonagh in his car as it approached the halting site.

When he asked McDonagh to produce his licence and insurance, the defendant became aggressive and confrontational and began to record the garda using his mobile phone camera.

He then drove his car at the detective in an attempt to pin him between the two cars before he drove off towards his bay in the halting site. Det Gda Pirollo pursued him and radioed for assistance.

When the detective tried to arrest McDonagh outside his home for the offence of endangerment, McDonagh became violent. During the struggle that ensued, he grabbed the victim by the neck and tried to strangle him.

Two men, who have never been identified, intervened to obstruct the arrest, and McDonagh ran into his home and out the back, where he got away. He was arrested four days later.

The garda's injuries included a cut to his lip, scratch marks, bruising and soft tissue damage to his neck, which caused him difficulty swallowing for some time after.

Mr Spencer said his client deeply regrets his actions on the day. He has written a letter of apology and has pledged the bail money of €5,000 to Det Gda Pirollo as a gesture of remorse, the court heard. He has tested free from drugs in custody.

In his victim impact statement, Dt Gda Pirollo said that he was subjected to a sudden, violent and completely unprovoked attack in which McDonagh used his vehicle as a weapon.

“I genuinely believed my life was in danger,” he said.

“He assaulted me by strangling me. He applied pressure to my neck.”

He said being strangled was a “deeply harrowing experience” which has had a “lasting emotional and psychological impact”. He said the attack highlighted the risks garda members face daily, and it has left his family with increased concern about his work.

Gda Sgt Martin told Judge Martina Baxter that he was the member in charge of Ballymun station on the day. He said that the level of concern about the incident when the victim radioed for assistance was so high that “we evacuated the station”.

“It was considered a very serious matter at the time,” he said, agreeing that Ballymun was a busy station.