Mother led mob to repel gardaí

A crowd led by a mother of 17 and two of her sons repelled two gardaí as they tried to seize a powerful car in which five balaclava-clad men were travelling, a court has heard.

Garda Lesley Maloney and Garda Padraig Cronin were put in fear for their lives as Bridget Ryan, aged 56, and her son Roger Ryan, aged 30, called on up to 15 others who emerged from their home in Rathkeale.

Both Ryans, with an address at Fair Green, Rathkeale, Co Limerick, yesterday pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to a charge of violent disorder.

The Ryan home was described in court as a fortress.

Garda Tom Flavin said Garda Maloney and Garda Cronin were on duty in a patrol car in Rathkeale, shortly after midnight on June 7 when they came upon a powerful 2.5l Ford Mondeo. There were five men in the car, all wearing balaclavas.

On seeing the patrol car, the Mondeo reversed at speed into the yard of Ms Ryan’s home at Fair Green. In doing so, the car struck a gate pillar.

The men took off their balaclavas. One was Roger Ryan and another a brother of his, described in court as Mr X, who fled to Britain after the incident.

The gardaí were obstructed by Bridget Ryan and one of her daughters as they tried to take possession of the car. Bridget Ryan started to shout to people in the house to come out to help get the gardaí out of her yard. She shouted at them to kill the gardaí. As she did so, up to 15 people came out of the house.

The gardaí were concerned for their safety and feared their lives were at risk as Bridget Ryan, Roger Ryan and Mr X threatened to kill them.

Garda Flavin told the court Bridget Ryan kept screaming “ram the guards” with the Mondeo.

At one point, the gardaí heard a female voice mention a pipe bomb.

As Garda reinforcements were called, all the group went back into the Ryan house, which prosecuting counsel John O’Sullivan said was like a fortress fitted with security shutters and CCTV security cameras.

Bridget Ryan has previous convictions, one of which was for causing criminal damage to a pub amounting to €5,000.

Roger Ryan, who has 59 previous convictions, also pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in a local pub in Rathkeale in 2014, causing him harm, and to causing criminal damage to the pub and a jeep owned by the publican.

The court was told he has been in custody since June 14 following the violent disorder crime.

Judge Carroll Moran jailed Roger Ryan for three years, backdated to June 14, for the pub assault and criminal damage.

In relation to the incident outside the Ryan home, Judge Moran imposed suspended three-year sentences on Bridget Ryan and Roger Ryan, binding both to the peace for six years.