Bystanders filmed garda while he was being viciously assaulted
Judge Eoin Garavan said drugs can turn a young man, with a good job and a supportive family, into a violent one.
A garda has told a court how members of the public filmed him while he lay on the ground writhing in pain after a vicious late-night assault in Westport.
Cillian McAleenan, aged 23, of Dooroy, Clonbur, Co Galway pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Gda Paul Deeley in the early hours of March 20, 2022. The court heard that Gda Deeley was off work for 15 months as a result of his injuries.
Outlining the background to the case, Sgt Derek Conroy said he was on patrol in Westport with Gda Deeley and Gda Shane Nallen on March 20, 2022, when they became aware of a fight near the Castle Nightclub on Castlebar Street. Sgt Conroy described the fight as a "free-for-all" and said the three officers were attempting to pull apart various individuals when the defendant lifted Gda Deeley up and then drove him into the ground in "a spear tackle" maneouvre.
Sgt Conroy and Gda Nallen rushed to assist their colleague, who was screaming in pain, and then arrested McAleenan. Gda Deeley was taken to Mayo University Hospital. He later received surgery on his shoulder and remained off work for 15 months. He is still not 100% recovered.
When questioned by gardaí, McAleenan expressed shock at the extent of Gda Deeley’s injuries.
Sgt Conroy said the incident was not typical of his experience of dealing with "drunkenness" in Westport and he suspected that drugs may have been a factor. McAleenan later admitted to having used drugs in the past.
In a victim impact statement, Gda Deeley said the incident had caused him "a lifetime of stress".
“This incident has impacted me in ways I never imagined… members of the public were recording on their phones instead of assisting me.
“I felt frustrated and angry at what had been done to me. When I returned home to my wife and three young kids, the gravity of what had happened hit me. I was unable to pick up my baby.
“One man took it upon himself to cause me a lifetime of stress… he thought it was acceptable to physically assault me during the course of my duties as a member of An Garda Síochána.”
Gda Deeley said he had to give up playing football, which was an important social activity for him as a non-native to the area.
McAleenan has no previous convictions.
Defending barrister Pat Murphy said his client has undergone drug and alcohol screening since the incident, including random drug testing. He has also undertaken the Prime for Life course and had brought €4,500 to court as a "gesture of remorse" towards Gda Deeley.
Judge Eoin Garavan condemned the offence.
“Drugs can turn a young man, with a good job and a supportive family, into a violent one,” he said. “Nobody made him take the cocaine, he did it himself.”
Adjourning the case to February 28, Judge Garavan said he would need to see an updated probation report before sentencing.
