A 29-year-old Aran islander was sentenced to four years in prison yesterday for a sustained and vicious attack on the island's only Garda sergeant during which the sergeant believed he was going to be killed because he knew he was alone and without Garda back-up.
Galway Circuit Criminal Court heard that builder's labourer Seán McDonagh, Cill Einne Road, Inis Mór, had headbutted, kicked and punched Sgt Christy Joyce (55) as he tried to flee after meeting McDonagh outside Watty's pub in Kilronan in the early hours of December 28th, 2006.
McDonagh pleaded guilty to a single charge of assaulting the sergeant, causing him harm.
Sgt Seamus Philips told the court that McDonagh was very intoxicated and he headbutted Sgt Joyce in the face several times for no reason. As Sgt Joyce tried to run, McDonagh held him by the throat while trying to push him over a wall. The sergeant got away but McDonagh caught up with him and was punching and kicking him when a man in a van intervened.
Sgt Joyce escaped and was trying to run back to the pub when McDonagh caught up with him and began assaulting him again, telling the sergeant he was going to kill him. He was badly injured but managed to escape.
The court heard of Sgt Joyce's fear that he was going to be fatally injured because he knew McDonagh had previous convictions. In his victim impact statement, he said he had been a garda for 35 years but no amount of police training could have prepared him for the assault, which lasted 15 minutes. "Unlike an incident which occurs on the mainland, I knew there would be no immediate response or support from my colleagues. I believe he knew this and took advantage of this on the night."