Unarmed gardaí 'are like lambs to the slaughter' when facing armed perpetrators
Gardaí arriving at Letterkenny Circuit Court for the sentencing of Stephen Dowling on Tuesday. Picture: NW Newspix
Unarmed gardaí are like "lambs to the slaughter" when confronted by violent and sometimes armed aggressors.
That is according to the Garda Representative Association (GRA) after a man was jailed on Tuesday in connection with an hour-long rifle rampage. One member of an armed response unit told at Tuesday's sentencing hearing how he eventually managed to subdue the perpetrator and said he thought he would never see his family again.
Gardaí told how they feared for their lives as bullets missed them by inches after drug and drink-fuelled deer-hunter Stephen Dowling went berserk.
Dowling, aged 25, of Burren Rd in Carlow, let off up to nine shots in Glenties, Co Donegal, during an hour-long escapade in the early hours of February 22, 2020. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The court heard that during the incident, terrified people ran for cover as the welder marched through the town "like a soldier" shooting at gardaí, civilians, buildings and cars.
Following the sentencing, president of the GRA Frank Thornton said it was time for the Government “to protect the protectors” and called for mandatory sentencing for incidents targeting frontline workers.
He said this was currently being highlighted by Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond, who is currently proposing legislation which seeks a mandatory six-month prison sentence for attacks on gardaí, paramedics or firefighters, and up to two years for more serious incidents.
Currently, assaults on gardaí, prison officers, fire service personnel, paramedics or a member of the Defence Forces can result in a fine of up to €5,000 and/or imprisonment for up to a year.
There have been more than 4,200 assaults on gardaí across the country in the past five years. Garda Thornton said:
He said there was currently no deterrent for perpetrators, and he claimed unarmed gardaí are like “lambs to the slaughter”, being sent into volatile situations without firearms or riot gear.
He added: “What is being done with our safety is like playing Russian roulette.”
During the Glenties incident, it took 40 minutes for two armed officers to arrive at the scene to back up their uniformed colleagues.
Deputy president of the GRA Brendan O’Connor, said: “These members who faced the very real prospect of not coming home from work to their families that night have asked that the GRA seek a comprehensive review to explore what steps can be introduced in order to improve how such incidents are responded to in order to improve the safety of members, better protect communities and provide better post-incident support to our members.”
The general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, Antoinette Cunningham, said the incident highlighted the importance of having an armed support unit available to communities in rural areas such as Donegal.
She called for the continued strengthening and resourcing of the unit in Donegal: "The incident has shown the greater need for a significant armed response to be available that has the capabilities to respond in the shortest possible time to an incident."
During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, one of the armed officers, Detective Enda Jennings, said: “I knew that I was up against it and he was a man with a superior firearm. I was outgunned, the odds were stacked against me. But I had to do my duty to protect the public and my unarmed colleagues.
“I was sure that I would never see my family again and I thought of the suffering and hardship they would have.”
He added he could see "the madness" in the eyes of the shooter.
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