A Garda says he believes a man used a hacksaw on the tyre of his
patrol car so he would suffer a blow-out while he was driving it.
The Garda told Letterkenny District Court that he found the hacksaw under the car when he called to a domestic dispute.
A cut had been made on the tyre at an angle so as it would later
suffer a ‘blow-out’, the Garda claimed.
The Garda then found the man crouched down behind the car and went to
approach him but the man resisted.
He then told the Garda that he knew his wife and children and that he
would “get them.”
He named the Garda’s wife and said she was a “lovely woman.”
The Garda went to arrest the man but he resisted and spat in the
Garda’s face before he had to be brought under control by Gardai using
pepper spray.
The evidence was given as part of a bail application made on behalf of
the man who was charged with obstruction and causing criminal damage
on May 8th last.
The accused man said he was a vegan who couldn’t even “kill a spider.”
He said he made the claims while he was under the influence of drink
and prescribed medication.
He told the court “I have seen his wife numerous times and she has
helped me. I have great time for her. I don’t know why he thinks I
want to do her harm. All I said she was a lovely woman. I can
understand that he feels threatened but I’m not that kind fo person.”
Garda Inspector Barry Doyle told the court that the Garda had been put
under severe personal pressure as a result of the threats to his wife
and children.
The court was also told that members of the medical profession has
declined to co-operate with the case as they feared possible reprisals
from the accused man.
Judge Paul Kelly said he was refusing bail as he feared the actions of
the man when he took drink and or drugs as he appeared to become “a
different man.”
The matter was referred to the Director of Public Prosections for a
direction in the case.