Man ‘drove car into Garda station, then threatened to kill officers’

Gardaí claim that a man purposely drove his car into a garda station, then the following day invaded the back office of the station, knocking over a CCTV monitor and phone, and threatening the garda on duty.

The man appeared before Bandon District Court on seven charges that, earlier this week, he drove his car into Dunmanway Garda Station in Co Cork before entering the non-public area of the station the following day, during which time he threatened to kill gardaí.

Garda Martin Hanley told Judge James McNulty that he arrested the man in the town’s Market Square on Thursday and charged him and that gardaí were now objecting to bail, in part because of fears that the man could attack members of the force.

Garda Hanley said that, at 10pm on Wednesday, a garda at the station heard a loud bang outside and viewed the CCTV system, on which he saw a Volkswagen Jetta up against the door of the station, having hit a wall.

The court heard that footage showed the man driving and that he intentionally swerved the car towards the station, then exiting the car and throwing the keys at the door before leaving on foot.

The court heard that, at 2.40pm the following day, October 3, the man entered the garda station beyond the public area by kicking in a door. A garda upstairs checked what was happening and found the CCTV monitor face down on the desk and a phone on the floor.

The man was present, with a bottle of brandy, and was shouting at gardaí. The court heard the garda feared for her safety. She managed to get the man outside the station, where he charged at another garda before being arrested.

Among the reasons for objecting to bail, gardaí said they feared officers could be attacked. The court heard the man recently suffered a family bereavement and had been drinking heavily.

Garda Hanley said: “We just feel he is very unsteady at the moment.”

The man’s solicitor, Ray Hennessy, told the court there was a commitment that the man would be admitted to the psychiatric unit of Bantry Hospital for review, with the assistance of his GP and members of his family.

The man agreed and arrangements were made for transfer to psychiatric care.