Father held baby girl over river by one leg during tense stand-off with armed gardaí

Seven new charges were brought against the 28-year-old Ennis man at Ennis District Court concerning a series of alleged offences over a four-hour period at four different locations in Ennis on April 10 and the early hours of April 11 last. Picture: File photo

A father endangered the life of his three-and-a-half month old baby girl when he held her upside down by one leg over the River Fergus in Ennis during a tense stand-off in April.

That is according to one of seven new charges brought against the 28-year-old Ennis man at Ennis District Court concerning a series of alleged offences over a four-hour period at four different locations in Ennis on April 10 and the early hours of April 11 last.

Members of the Garda Armed Response Unit along with trained negotiators were called in to defuse the situation concerning the father and his baby girl.

The man was arrested and the baby was returned to her mother shortly after 2am on April 11.

However, the man is facing the new charges arising from a number of alleged offences during the stand-off in the hours prior to 2am on April 11.

The man is accused of intentionally or recklessly engaging in conduct where he held the baby upside-down by one leg over the River Fergus at Woodquay, Ennis which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm contrary to Section 13 of the Offences Against the Person Act.

The man is also accused of intentionally or recklessly swinging the baby over his head and to the ground aggressively and narrowly missing a steel pole at Carmody Street, Ennis which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to the baby on April 10.

The man is also accused of making a threat to Garda Tim Quirke at Carmody Street, Ennis intending Garda Quirke to believe that it would be carried out to kill or cause serious harm to the baby on April 10.

The man is also charged with violently tossing the baby around in the air while holding her by one ankle with one hand and threatening to smash her head off the ground which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another at Friar’s Walk, Ennis on April 10.

The man is also charged that without lawful excuse of making a threat to Alan West for Mr West to believe that the accused would kill or cause the baby serious harm at Barrack Street, Ennis on April 10.

The man also made a threat to a woman for her to believe that the accused would kill or cause serious harm to the baby at Friar’s Walk on April 11.

The man is also charged with wilfully assaulting, ill-treating, neglecting and exposing the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering to the child’s health or seriously affect her well being contrary to Section 246 (1) of (2) of the Children’s Act 2001.

The accused made ‘no reply’ after charge and caution.

Sgt Aiden Lonergan told Judge Patrick Durcan that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed that the case proceed by indictment to the circuit court.

Persons convicted in the circuit court of offences under Section 13 Non Fatal Against the Person Act and Section 246 of the Children’s Act are liable to prison terms up to seven years.

Gardaí have taken 60 statements and sought CCTV from 30 different premises in Ennis as part of an investigation into the alleged offences.

The Ennis man has been in custody since the incident and has remained on remand in custody at Limerick prison after facing an initial charge concerning the incident.

The man has remained in custody after having bail refused in the District Court and the High Court.

Solicitor for the accused, Daragh Hassett told Judge Durcan that he intends to bring a fresh bail application next Wednesday and has put Gardaí on notice of the application.

The man is also charged with the assault causing harm of his partner and the child’s mother on Friday, April 10 at an address in Ennis prior to the alleged assault of the baby.

Judge Durcan further remanded the accused man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - in custody to re-appear before court on July 22 next.