Garda suffered concussion, back injuries and bite wound responding to 999 call

GRA president Frank Thornton said: 'Over the past five years there have been over 4,200 attacks on gardaí while on duty. And the trend of acceleration is even more alarming with the number of 700 assaults in 2016 rising to 1,096 last year, an increase of 57% in that time.'

A garda has spoken about how he suffered concussion, back injuries and a bite wound after responding alone to a call-out to a house earlier this year.

Ray Wims, a member of the executive of the Garda Representative Association, told the Irish Examiner of his experience as the association highlighted the issue of assaults on gardaí during their annual conference in Killarney.

Garda Wims is stationed in Coolaney in Sligo and in May, he responded to a 999 call at a house.

When he went to the scene, a man was trying to break in and although other gardaí were on their way, he intervened because a woman and two children were terrified in the house.

He said there was a struggle between him and the other man for up to 25 minutes while Garda back-up was on its way from Ballymote station.

As a result of the incident, he has spent “a considerable amount of time” out of work on a number of occasions, and still suffers pain from the incident.

The man was arrested and a file has been sent to the DPP for direction.

GRA president Frank Thornton said: “Over the past five years there have been over 4,200 attacks on gardaí while on duty. And the trend of acceleration is even more alarming with the number of 700 assaults in 2016 rising to 1,096 last year, an increase of 57% in that time.” 

Meanwhile, it was claimed at the conference by Garda Damien McCarthy of Pearse Street station in Dublin that extra public order officers have had to be brought in from stations in Leitrim and Sligo to police the city centre.

He was speaking during a motion calling for an independent optimum numbers survey of An Garda Síochána to be carried out.

After the debate, Cork City representative Ian Lester said resources in Douglas were being impacted by the provision of round-the-clock Garda cover by one member at the home of Taoiseach Micheál Martin.