Man dangled his baby upside down over river in stand-off with gardaí
Dramatic CCTV footage was shown in court today of a member of the Garda Armed Response Unit (ARU) tasering a man while the unit rescued a three-and-a-half-month old baby from his arms.
The rescue of the infant took place in the back of an ambulance at 2am at Friar’s Walk in Ennis on April 11 last after a tense three and a half hour stand-off with the 29-year-old.
The footage showed advanced paramedic Alan West removing the baby from the man’s arms and exiting the ambulance as six gardaí apprehended the accused.
Counsel for the State, Lorcan Connolly BL, stated that the ARU had been brought covertly to the scene.
During the stand-off, there were several flash-points, including one where the man ran away from gardaí to the River Fergus and mounted a wall overlooking the river at Wood Quay and held the baby out over the water.
In her victim impact statement, the infant’s mother (19) stated: “I thought he was going to kill her and that I would never see her again.”
Mr Connolly described how at the river scene, Garda Anna Morrissey got within two metres of the father and baby “and begged the accused not to harm the child”.
Mr Connolly stated that the accused became enraged and dangled the baby upside over the water by one leg.
Mr Connolly stated that Garda Morrissey continued her efforts to calm down the man and handed him a blanket for the baby who was only wearing a babygrow.
Garda Barry Comber told the court that the situation at the river wall lasted 12 minutes and that paramedics, gardaí, and members of the fire service arrived at the scene “in anticipation of the worst”.
Mr Connolly stated that the accused told gardaí that “he wouldn’t give up his baby and if the gardaí came any closer, he would throw her into the river”.
Earlier, the man had carried the baby through the town and told gardaí “we’re going to die tonight”.
Mr Connolly stated that one saw the accused swinging the baby violently towards the ground coming within one foot of her head hitting the ground.
On Carmody Street, Mr Connolly stated that the accused “threatened to throw the baby through the window of Kenny’s pub”.
He stated that the accused told gardaí: “I am going to smash the baby’s head off the ground."
On CCTV shown in court, gardaí and paramedics are seen holding their hands up to their heads as the man swung the baby towards the ground.
The accused left the site at the river and walked through the Market area of Ennis and towards Barrack Street with gardaí following him.
The Garda operation now involved a trained negotiator and Mr Connolly stated that a number of witnesses saw how the man was carrying the infant by one leg and continued to swing her in the air as he walked.
Gardaí drafted in the baby’s mother and his aunt to the scene in order to calm the accused down.
Mr Connolly stated that the baby’s mother tried to remove the baby from the man’s grasp but failed and the accused ran into the middle of the road where the accused again violently tossed the baby into the air.
The man's aunt also tried to prise the baby from his grasp but failed.
Mr Connolly stated that the baby was exposed to the elements for a number of hours and the accused has been persuaded the enter the back of an ambulance on the pretence of taking the baby to hospital.
Mr Connolly stated that advanced paramedic Alan West told the accused that a medical examination of the baby was urgently required.
Mr Connolly stated that Mr West agreed to act as a decoy and it was while he engaged with the accused in the ambulance that the ARU pounced.
The tense stand-off was ended with Mr West exiting the ambulance with the baby and returning her into the arms of her mother.
The baby was brought to hospital for an examination and no injuries were detected.
Garda Comber stated that he met with the mother and baby a few days ago and he stated that the baby — now aged 10 months — “is thriving”.
The stand-off was sparked off by the baby girl’s mother seeking Garda assistance after she was assaulted by her then partner and father of the baby.
The man has 51 previous convictions with road traffic and public order offences accounting for 43 of the convictions.
The man has pleaded guilty to five separate charges: to 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 on April 10 last.
He also pleaded guilty to at a number of locations in Ennis to wilfully assaulting, ill-treating, and neglecting his baby daughter in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering and injury to the baby’s health and seriously affect her well being on April 10 and April 11.
The man also pleaded guilty to two assault causing harm charges against the mother of the baby girl at two different locations in Ennis on April 10.
In an interview with gardaí the accused stated: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry for what I did and got the gardaí involved. Holding my child by the ankles swinging her around is not right.”
Garda Comber stated that the accused was not under the influence of any intoxicant during the stand-off.
Counsel for the accused, Michael Collins SC, told Judge Brian O’Callaghan stated that a psychiatric assessment on his client has been delayed by Covid-19 and Judge O’Callaghan adjourned sentencing to December 1.
The accused has been in custody since his arrest on April 11 last and Judge O’Callaghan further remanded the man in custody to December 11.
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