A LETTERKENNY man who kicked a female garda in the stomach has been jailed for 10 months.
Glen Friel (24), of Oliver Plunkett Road, appeared before Letterkenny District Court via video link on Monday in connection with the incident on May 5, 2022.
Friel is charged that on the date in question he assaulted garda Aoife McNulty at Oliver Plunkett Road, causing her harm.
He appeared before the court by video link from Wheatfield Prison where, the court was told he is in custody on another matter.
Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle told the court that during the course of an incident, Friel kicked a female Garda in the stomach and caused her harm.
Sergeant Doyle said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed that the matter can be summarily disposed of in the District Court.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham asked Sergeant Maurice Doyle if the female garda had made a victim impact statement, to which she was told she had not.
Solicitor Rory O’Brien told the court that the offence occurred during a particularly dark time in his client’s life.
“My client is now 24 years of age. This offence occurred when he was 22, when his life was blighted by a terrible accommodation problem.
There was drug dependency also. Mr Friel has had a difficult background, and he has struggled with his mental health. This offence occurred under the influence of alcohol.”
Mr O’Brien told the court that CCTV footage of the incident was shown to Friel.
“He tells me he has no memory of the incident. He apologised to the garda member, although he knows there is no excuse for his behaviour.
“It was a terrible incident. The incident arose when the garda intervened in a situation and that is when she was kicked. He tells me he is on the correct and appropriate medication now for the first time ever. At the moment he is engaging with schooling, and he is proud of that.”
The matter had been adjourned until Monday’s sitting of Letterkenny District Court to allow Judge Cunningham to consider jurisdiction.
Judge Cunningham said she would like Friel to realise that the matter is very serious, and described it at the “upper end of the court jurisdiction”.
She said that Friel was “lucky that this court accepted jurisdiction”.
“He kicked a female garda in the abdomen while she was carrying out her duties. I have to give him credit for his progress and for the mitigation put forward.”
She sentenced him to 10 months.
Related posts:
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)