Sergeant thought he was ‘a goner’

A garda sergeant had a rock thrown at his head and told his colleague he was “a goner” as they came under fire from a violent group. He fell to the ground and the other officer, who was also injured, shielded the fallen sergeant from further harm.

The sergeant who feared he was going to die on the night has lost 75% of the sight in one eye after he was hit in the face by the rock thrown during the violent disorder in East Cork.

Sgt David Haughney suffered permanent damage to the optic nerve in his left eye when he was struck by a rock thrown by Luke Quilligan in Youghal on December 14.