Elber Twomey hails "significant" meeting with Garda chiefs as part of garda suicide training campaign

Campaigner Elber Twomey, who lost her family when a suicidal driver ploughed his vehicle into their car in Devon two years ago, has met with the assistant Garda commissioner to discuss training for recruits to the force to deal with such events.

Ms Twomey, from north Cork, said the meeting with John Twomey last week was “very positive”, and claimed it was the “most significant day” so far in her campaign.

The 38-year-old lost her 16-month-old son Oisín and her unborn baby girl, Elber Marie, in a head-on collision in Devon on July 6, 2012, after 26-year-old Polish taxi driver Marek Wojciechowski deliberately rammed their car as they were driving to catch a ferry home after a holiday in Britain.

Her husband, Con, 38, suffered devastating injuries and died in Cork University Hospital almost 10 months later.

Police in Britain have since changed their operating procedures for dealing with the pursuit of suicidal drivers, and here, two joint Oireachtas committees have backed Ms Twomey’s campaign to secure special training for gardaí to deal with suicide.

During the meeting with Mr Twomey, she also spoke with four of his colleagues who will be training the new intake of recruits in Templemore. Garda chiefs outlined the BA in applied policing which will commence next month at the college.

“I was really impressed with the way that in this course the students learn through working with realistic policing scenarios. To me it shows how practical and ‘real life’ the course is,” Ms Twomey said.

“At the meeting, I got a chance to get my thoughts across on the need for more suicide training across the force in general and for Garda drivers in particular. I outlined some suggestions that I would like to see included in their suicide awareness training.

“My hope being that this training will be given in the Garda training college and included in the Primary In-service Programme so that all members of An Garda Síochána will receive this training.

“This undoubtedly, in my opinion, will help and protect the Garda and indeed the suicidal person they may encounter.”

It is understood gardaí will discuss ways in which Ms Twomey’s input can inform Garda training.

She said the meeting was unlikely to be a one-off adding: “I genuinely hope that this could well be the start of something.”