Gardai have called for mandatory jail sentences for people who assault their members after a man with 84 convictions walked free from court after driving his car at an officer and seriously injured him.
Paul McGillion was drunk and already disqualified from driving when he drove his Honda car at Garda Michael Kilcoyne in Letterkenny in July, 2015.
Garda Kilcoyne was hospitalised and suffered “life-changing” injuries, according to Judge Terence O’Sullivan.
McGillion, of Manorcunningham, pleaded guilty to endangerment as well as drink-driving, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
However, after hearing that McGillion, now 32, had turned his life around, was employed and had two children, Judge O’Sullivan suspended the three-year jail sentence he imposed on McGillion at Letterkenny Circuit Court.
A visibly disbelieving Garda Kilcoyne shook his head at the rear of the courtroom but did not comment on the ruling after the case.
But now the Donegal Garda Representative Association (GRA) spokesperson has called for the introduction of mandatory sentencing for those who carry out assaults on gardaí and members of the emergency services.
Garda Brendan O’Connor stressed that he was not specifically referring to the McGillion case.
But he said “If people faced mandatory sentences for assaults on gardaí and emergency personnel, including the use of a vehicle it would act as a deterrent, that protection isn’t there at the moment.”
The Dunfanaghy-based garda said that gardaí face danger every day.
“Yes, I do think that gardaí face danger, physical danger. People who choose not to stop in cars, put their own lives, the lives of the public and the lives of gardaí at risk. Such people are prepared to act with total disregard for anyone’s safety and mandatory sentencing should reflect the risks associated with their recklessness.”
He said the issue of people using cars to avoid detection is happening time and time again.
And he added that mandatory sentences for attacks on Gardai now need to be brought in.
“Time and time again, we see people taking extreme action to evade detection and it’s our members who are exposed to extreme danger as a result. We believe that mandatory sentences would go some way to address this issue and provide better protection to all emergency service personnel,” he said.
Two Donegal-based Gardai, Robbie McCallion and Paul McLaughlin, have already died in the line of duty by cars.
Garda McCallion died in 2009 after being struck by a car during a botched car robbery at Tara Court in Letterkenny.
The man who killed him, 19-year-old Jamie McGrenaghan, from Kerrykeel, pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of the officer and was jailed for seven years with the last year suspended in 2011.
After the case, Garda McCallion’s family said that it was vitally important that gardaí are adequately protected when they are carrying out their duty.
In the statement the McCallion family asked the question ‘they protect us, who is going to protect them?’
Meanwhile Garda McLoughlin, 24, died in December 2009 after being struck by a car being driven by drunk-driver Martin McDermott, 26.
McDermott, from Raphoe, who had 91 previous convictions, was jailed for 7 years for Garda McLoughlin’s manslaughter.