Sentenced to six months in prison for assaulting female garda at Laois ploughing championship

A DRUNKEN man who assaulted a garda at the national ploughing championships in Ratheniska in 2023 was sentenced to six months in prison when he came before last week’s sitting of the district court in Portlaoise.

The 43-year-old defendant, David Feeney from Ballymeeney, Dromore West, Co Sligo, had previously pleaded guilty to being intoxicated, engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting words or behavior and to assault causing harm to a female garda at the national ploughing championships at Ratheniska on 21 August 2023.

At the outset of the case last week, the defendant’s solicitor Philip Meagher said that his client “is very apologetic for what happened on the day in question. It happened outside the Heineken tent at the ploughing championships over two-and-a-half-years ago. I’d like to hand in a letter from Mr Feeney addressed to the garda.” “Why hand me a letter addressed to somebody else,” asked Judge Cody.

Mr Meagher said he would read it in open court on behalf of his client and said: “I am truly sorry for my behaviour at the ploughing championship. I had no intention of injuring you or causing you any harm. I am sorry for your injuries and for any stress I caused to you and to your family. I hope you accept this letter as a sincere apology and I hope you have recovered well. Yours sincerely, David Feeney.” Mr Meagher said that he hoped the injured garda would accept the letter from his client “as a true and meaningful expression of remorse, as well as his regret and shame for what happened.” Mr Meagher said the events, as outlined in the garda’s statement, occurred when “she and her colleagues had received word from some of the staff at the Heineken tent that Mr Feeney had had an argument with his partner. He was clearly intoxicated. His partner was leaving the scene and he was in a very agitated and drunk state. The gardaí arrived to try and calm the situation. Despite the injured garda and her colleagues’ efforts to try and calm him down, he became more agitated. Eventually, he had to be handcuffed, his hands cuffed behind his back and placed on the ground.” Mr Meagher said that Mr Feeney “fully accepts that his head came into contact with the garda’s head, causing her injury and upset. He admits that at the time he had difficulty with drink that affected his behaviour and made him act in an aggressive fashion. He since hasn’t taken a drink. The event has been a life-changing situation for him and fully accepts it’s had a very upsetting and traumatic effect on the garda as well. He accepts that she was only doing her duty and she should not have been exposed to the slightest element of this behaviour.” Mr Meagher said that Mr Feeney is a qualified electrician, but was presently out of work due to a serious accident before Christmas and is currently his partner’s full-time minder.

Nonetheless, Mr Meagher said that his client had saved €2,100 by way of compensation and, if given a chance, he would be willing to save more money.

Judge Cody asked: “Since 2023, he had put together, €2,000, is it? Since then, he’s had two to three years of earning good money and he only managed to put aside €2,100. Is that as good as he can do?” Mr Meagher said that it’s eight weeks since the accident and his client had not been able to work or to put more money aside.

“It’s the best he can do at this moment in time,” said Mr Meagher, “but if the court was willing to give him some additional time…” “To do what,” asked Judge Cody, “what is he offering?” Mr Meagher said: “He’ll be guided by the court, to which Judge Cody replied: “No. You tell me.” Mr Meagher said he was aware that the injured garda was pursuing other legal avenues over the incident, as was her right, and that Mr Feeney “was willing to pay €10,000 in total.” Garda sgt Jason Hughes said in respect to the letter of apology that he expected nothing less and that the injured garda “acknowledges it, even at this late stage, accepts it and appreciates it.” Judge Cody said: “This man has a serious and varied criminal history. In the last 23 years, he’s amassed 32 convictions. Many of these were serious offences.

“The offences include failing to stop for a garda, dangerous driving, arson, criminal damage, harassment, domestic abuse, obstruction of a garda, possession of drugs, several for intoxication and public order.

“His last conviction was on 19 June 2022 and that was for criminal damage. Then, on 21 September 2023, just over 12 months later, Mr Feeney was at the ploughing match. He was in the Heineken tent at 4.40pm that evening and still being served drink despite being obviously drunk, abusing other patrons and in particular one patron he tried to hit. That patron approached the gardaí and they, including the injured garda, went to the Heineken tent.” Judge Cody said: “That garda was perfectly entitled to ask Mr Feeney for his details and he became verbally abusive and started talking in a very aggressive manner to her. He refused several times to give his details and as a result she had to handcuff him to arrest him. He was being escorted from the Heineken tent, which had children and families in it, but despite this he continued to insult the garda and headbutted her into her forehead. Other gardaí had to be called to restrain him. In spite of this, he continued to be abusive and became more abusive.” Judge Cody said the injured garda is known to be an outstanding member of An Garda Síochána who was “brutally assaulted by this thug.” “Mr Feeney is nothing short of a thug, and a recidivist thug. She had to be taken to hospital and had received a concussion as a result of being headbutted. Later that night, she had to go home to her family who, no doubt, and perfectly understandable, was traumatised when they saw their wife and mother with a big bruise on her head and a black eye after being released from hospital.” Judge Cody said the garda, at the end of her victim impact statement, said that she was only doing her job.

He said: “Anyone who attends this court will know I have no time for thugs like Mr Feeney. Assaulting, ill-treating or being abusive to good, decent people who do their jobs to support their families. Be they doormen, taxi drivers, solicitors, hospital workers, gardaí or anybody else that frequently have to bear the brunt of thugs like Mr Feeney.” The judge said: “After two-and-a-half years, he offers an apology to the garda. While the apology was accepted and it may have been a genuine token of remorse, but it’s very easy to write a letter on the way in the door of a courtroom.

“He’s come to court today with an offer of €2,100 in compensation and €10,000 if given time. I regard the €2,100 offer, two-and-a-half years later from an electrical contractor, as miserable and an insult.” In respect to the section 6 of the Public Order Act (engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour), Judge Cody convicted him of that offence and sentenced him to two months in prison and fined him €500.

Regarding section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 (assault causing harm), Mr Feeney was fined €2,000 and a four month sentence imposed to run consecutively to the first sentence.

He went on to fix recognisance in the event Mr Feeney wished to appeal against the sentence in the form of a €1,000 own bond and a cash lodgement of €500, which Mr Feeney posted before the conclusion of the court on the day.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme.