Man who fired pellets at gardaí appears in court again

Tommy Mannah pictured at Cork District court following his arrest on the main Cork-Dublin motorway following a Garda car chase.Picture: Cork Courts

The 21 year-old man accused of firing shots from a pellet gun at a garda and firing at officers again as he drove away from the scene was released on bail granted by the High Court and appeared in Cork District Court for his case today.

Inspector Ronan Kennelly said directions were still awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Judge Olann Kelleher put the case back until October 12 to allow time for that, noting that the alleged incidents giving rise to the charges occurred relatively recently.

Tommy Mannah, who had been living at Military Road, Cork, is charged with two firearm offences including one that he had a firearm or imitation firearm with him when he unlawfully used a car at Military Road and another that he used a firearm or imitation firearm for the purpose of resisting arrest by a member of An Garda Siochána on the M8 Northbound at Ballinahina, Rathcormac.

He is charged with endangerment by driving a black VW Golf, and colliding with a barrier and creating substantial risk of death or serious harm at the toll plaza and taking the car without the consent of the owner at Military Road.

Gardaí received a call about a man and a firearm prior to the attack

Detective Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan said at an earlier court hearing that gardaí received a call at 11.30pm on the night of July 3, about a man breaking into a car and being in possession of a firearm.

“Gardaí attended at the scene. Tommy Mannah returned with an alleged handgun which he discharged in the direction of gardaí hitting one member in the arm. He then got into the car and drove from the scene.

“He was signalled to stop and he failed. He discharged shots out the window of the car. He crashed through a barrier at the toll plaza.

“A stinger (device to puncture and disable a car) was placed on the motorway. Armed support unit members approached and identified themselves as armed gardaí. It is alleged that he discharged shots at the armed gardaí. A Tazer was discharged and he was successfully arrested,” Det. Sgt. O’Sullivan said.