Drink binge man crashed car into garda station

A Dunmanway man on a drinking bender crashed his car into the front door of his local garda station and the next day carried a bottle of brandy into the building where he insulted gardaí as pigs and threatened to kill one officer.

John Murray, 39, of Derragh, Dunmanway, Co Cork, was arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to damaging the station, threatening to kill Garda Heather Chandler, and dangerous driving.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Long testified that Garda Chandler was on duty on October 2 last year when she heard a loud bang outside the station. A Volkswagen car had been driven into the front door.

On examination of CCTV, the driver was seen getting out of the car and throwing the keys at the garda station before leaving.

The following afternoon, John Murray returned and kicked in a door of the public office.

He caused damage to the office phone and CCTV camera in the public office.

Det Sgt. Long said, “He had a bottle of Hennessy brandy in his hand. He came towards (Garda Chandler) and said, ‘you fucking pig guard’. She retreated through the corridors of the station and he followed her saying, ‘You fucking pig guard, I will kill you pig guards.’ She shouted at him to leave the station and he did so.”

Shortly afterwards in the Square in Dunmanway, Murray approached Garda Martin Hanley and made more comments about pig guards. Murray was carrying a bottle of brandy.

Garda Hanley wrestled it from him and arrested him, Det Sgt Long said.

Paula McCarthy said the defendant’s father had died a week earlier and the defendant went on a drinking binge after the funeral.

Det Sgt Long said there had been no animosity from the defendant towards gardaí in the background to this incident.

Ms McCarthy said the accused had been in custody since this happened in October.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin remanded him in custody until May 3 for a probation report to see what supports and structures could be put in place to assist the defendant when he is eventually released from custody.