Accused claims gardaí are those who should be jailed

Gardaí objected to bail being granted to a man accused of crashing into a Garda patrol car at the weekend but the accused said yesterday it was the gardaí who should be sent to jail.

Darren Coffey, aged 25, of 40 Upper John St, Cork, was brought before Cork District Court yesterday on a charge of causing criminal damage to a Garda vehicle at Cathedral Walk, Blackpool, Cork, on Saturday.

The charge arose out of an alleged ramming of the Garda car as the motorist attempted to drive away at speed from the gardaí.

After hearing prosecution and defence evidence in the bail application, Judge Marie Keane refused bail and remanded the accused in custody.

As Mr Coffey was being escorted into custody at the Washington St courthouse he raised his voice and said to the judge: “You are putting the wrong fella in prison, you should be putting the guards in prison.”

Mr Coffey was remanded in custody to appear again at Cork District Court on September 15.

Garda Paula Sidley testified during the bail application that gardaí pursued the car which was allegedly driven dangerously through a number of streets in Blackpool on September 10.

Garda Sidley said the car collided with another car at Cathedral Walk, spun around, and collided with the Garda car.