Ballina man who described charges as 'laughable' is found guilty by jury
The defendant denied the charges when he appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A golf course owner struck a Garda with his jeep after the officer threatened to seize the vehicle.
John O’Boyle, of Quignalegan, Sligo Road, Ballina, was found guilty by a jury of assault causing harm, dangerous driving, failure to stop, and failure to remain at the scene. The pensioner contested the case at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
Gda Padraig Naughton told the court he was on duty in the vicinity of a Garda checkpoint at Quignalegan on the morning of October 24, 2021.
He said O’Boyle’s pick-up emerged from a side road and was pointed in the direction of the checkpoint before entering the main road. However, the vehicle then exited the side road in the other direction and drove towards Blindbrook par three golf course. The Garda said he noted there was no tax on the pick-up, and he followed the vehicle.
The jeep parked in the public car park of the golf course and Gda Naughton went to speak to the driver. He claimed O’Boyle became “irate” and told the Garda to leave the area as it was private property.
Gda Naughton returned to his car to check the tax status of the jeep and to call for assistance. The vehicle was untaxed since June 2019 with O’Boyle taking ownership of the pick-up in February 2020. The vehicle was taxed following the incident.
Gda Naughton said the accused was in the jeep when he went to inform him that he would be seizing the vehicle. He said his colleagues were just entering the car park at this stage and he was standing on the driver’s side of the jeep. Gda Naughton said O’Boyle reversed the jeep and then drove toward him with the jeep colliding with his right shoulder.
He said the accused pulled the pick-up into a private area and told him – “What are you going to do it about it now?” – before climbing onto a lawn mower and proceeding to cut the grass on the course.
Gda Naughton said it took about 20-30 minutes before he noticed the soreness in his shoulder. A medical examination later revealed he had suffered a rotator cuff injury from which he has fully recovered.
The incident was captured on CCTV provided to the court by the accused.
Barrister Martin Durack, representing O’Boyle, put it to Gda Naughton that the jeep merely brushed past him and there was no significant impact.
“It wasn’t a huge impact, I wasn’t knocked to the ground, but there was an impact,” replied Gda Naughton.
Gda Collette Farragher and Gda Michael Gorman, who arrived on the scene as the incident was taking place, said they observed the impact. Mr Durack argued that the CCTV would appear to indicate that their view would have been obscured but the officers denied this assertion.
When questioned by Gardaí in April 2022, O’Boyle denied the allegations and said they were “laughable”. A jury took just 40 minutes to return a unanimous guilty verdict on all counts.
O’Boyle was remanded on bail until October 11 for sentencing.
