Motorist who fled drug deal with 'pioneering' female Cork garda hanging onto car is jailed

Garda Catherine McCarthy, the first female member of the West Cork drugs unit, was pushed off the side of the car and it rolled over her leaving her to experience her worst-ever feeling of fear and helplessness as she thought, “I am going to die”. File picture: Don Moloney/Press 22

A motorist who sped from the scene of drug deal with a garda hanging on to the side of his car fearing for her life was jailed for three years.

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a total sentence of four years with the last year suspended on Martin Keohane at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The 34-year-old was jailed for counts that included endangerment.

The judge said: “Detective Garda (Catherine) McCarthy is entitled — as is every member of An Garda Siochana — to go to work in the morning and come home safe and well from her job.” Judge Boyle recalled from the evidence that the pioneering member of An Garda Síochána — the first female member of the West Cork drugs unit — was pushed off the side of the car and it rolled over her leaving her to experience her worst-ever feeling of fear and helplessness as she thought, “I am going to die”. 

Martin Keohane of Derrygreen, Skibbereen, County Cork, pleaded guilty to the endangerment, obstructing a drugs search and related charges.

Detective Sergeant Michael Lyons said: “It was the most dangerous incident I have been involved in in 30 years service, where a guard could have received fatal injuries.” Judge Boyle described the injured party as a pioneering garda, being the first female member of the of the West Cork divisional drugs unit.

Incident

Det. Sgt Lyons said the incident occurred on a remote stretch of road near Baltimore where a dealer met his customers. The drug-dealer walked through the woods at 7pm on April 8, 2021, on the particular stretch of roadway at Creagh, Baltimore, where he met and sold Martin Keohane €400 worth of cannabis which he planned to share with friends.

Following the drugs transaction, Det. Sgt Lyons intercepted the drug-dealer in the woods and at the same time as this, Detective Garda Catherine McCarthy approached Martin Keohane’s car, clearly identified herself as a member of An Garda Síochána and told him to stop.

“Martin Keohane attempted to drive off. Det. Garda McCarthy attempted to take the keys out of the ignition. He disregarded Det. Garda McCarthy’s direction and accelerated away at reckless speed in the direction of Skibbereen.

“As he drove off he avoided hitting a wall by swerving violently away from it at the last minute, while all the time Det. Garda McCarthy was hanging from the driver’s door of the car. She was dragged for approximately 80 feet as the car travelled at increasing speed until she was pushed by Martin Keohane from the moving vehicle.

“I observed his vehicle driving over Det. Garda McCarthy’s ankle causing her significant injuries.

“At a hastily set up checkpoint, Det. Garda Shannon Ryan was forced to jump back into the garda vehicle to avoid being struck as Martin Keohane sped through the checkpoint with his vehicle half in the ditch and half on the road as he attempted to avoid the checkpoint.” 

He was contacted by telephone later that night by Det. Sgt Lyons but he refused to meet gardaí. He met them the following day when he made admissions and expressed apologies for his actions.

In her victim impact statement, Det. Garda McCarthy said: “Without warning, I heard tyres skidding on the gravel and next I was travelling at speed in his car window, shouting and begging him to stop. 

What happened relatively quickly felt like an eternity. With my legs uncontrollably dragging along the road, the speed was getting faster and I thought I was going to die.

“I remember his back wheel running over my ankle as I lay on the road. He drove off. An overpowering surge of anger and gratitude came over me. Gratitude that I was alive. I am in constant pain of varying degree. My life and my family’s life has changed hugely because of this incident.

“I experience a lot of guilt for my children as I feel I’m not the mother they had/deserve. I feel they have been cheated.” 

Defence senior counsel Tom Creed said the 34-year-old struggled with addiction since the age of 16. “It is his intention to clean up his act, so to speak,” Mr Creed said.