Garda feared his finger would be bitten off during incident at direct provision centre

Sergeant Alec Butler thought his finger "was going to go" when he was bitten when responding to reports of a violent incident at a direct provision centre. File Picture: iStock

A Garda sergeant feared his finger would be bitten off in an incident where he and two other officers were assaulted at a direct provision centre as they investigated allegations of an earlier violent incident. 

While the sergeant was attacked and his finger bitten, another Garda was pulled "to and fro" by the hair, all just yards from a new-born baby.

Nkosiyapha Mguni, 26 and living at the Clonakilty Lodge in Co Cork, pleaded guilty at Clonakilty District Court to all charges relating to the incident.

Giving evidence before Judge James McNulty, Sgt Alec Butler said he was on duty on April 22 last year when the station in Clonakilty received a report of an alleged assault at the direct provision centre. Accompanied by Garda Liam Ryan and Garda Trish Grimes, he went to the centre where a member of security said a lady had been assaulted by her partner.

Gardaí spoke with the woman who, Sgt Butler said, was "hysterical" and displaying signs of an assault, including a swollen face. The woman was with three children but told gardaí her two-week-old baby was in another room with the man who had hit her. 

Gardaí knocked on the door of that room but there was no answer. The security guard opened it with a key but, on two occasions, the door was pushed back.

On the third occasion, Sgt Butler wedged his foot in the door and gardaí held it open, with Mr Mguni hitting him on the side of the head and on the shoulder. 

Sgt Butler said he was conscious of the baby being in the room so "allowed the attack" to move to the hall. 

Mr Mguni pushed gardaí, with Sgt Butler hitting his head against the wall on a number of occasions. Getting Mr Mguni on the ground, Sgt Butler attempted to handcuff him, but was unable to fully lock it. Sgt Butler's index finger was fully extended and Mr Mguni, now back on his feet, pulled the handcuff up in front of him.

"He got my finger up in front of his face and then bit down on it," Sgt Butler told the judge. "I thought my finger was going to go, that is the truth." 

Gardaí pepper-sprayed Mr Mguni and Sgt Butler said he used the rest of the handcuff to wedge open the man's mouth to free his finger. Mr Mguni had caught Garda Grimes by the hair and was "pulling her to and fro", the court heard, while Garda Ryan was hit on the knee. 

Eventually Mr Mguni was handcuffed and taken to the garda station. 

Sgt Butler said both he and Garda Grimes were hospitalised. He was off work for a month, and off certain duties for more than six months.

Mr Mguni's solicitor, Vicki Buckley, said her client would be pleading guilty to all charges but asked sentencing be adjourned as he has been attending a doctor and she wanted to have a medical report prepared for the court. She said such a report would not justify her client's behaviour but may go some way towards explaining it. 

Judge McNulty convicted Mr Mguni on all charges, namely an assault on Garda Ryan, assault causing harm to Sgt Butler and Garda Grimes, a public order offence, criminal damage and obstructing gardaí.

He adjourned sentencing until October 6 and legal aid was granted.