Man who assaulted Roderic O'Gorman during election canvass avoids jail
Karl Ronan leaving Blanchardstown District Court in Dublin after his sentence hearing on Tuesday. Picture: IrishPhotoDesk.ie
A man who grabbed Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman by the shoulders and verbally abused him with a homophobic slur during an election canvass in Dublin has been spared jail.
The incident on November 2 happened when then minister for children went door-to-door around the Erris Square, Waterville area in Blanchardstown.
Salesman Karl Ronan, aged 45, of Erris Square, Waterville, Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty to assaulting Roderic O'Gorman, threatening and abusive behaviour and damaging his clipboard.
Father of two Ronan appeared again at Blanchardstown District Court on Tuesday for a Probation Service assessment to be furnished to Judge David McHugh.
He noted the report handed into the court was positive.
Judge McHugh ordered Ronan to carry out 200 hours of community service instead of a four-month prison sentence.
At an earlier hearing, Judge McHugh noted Ronan had emailed an apology, which Mr O'Gorman had accepted.
The court heard Ronan "lost control", pushed the TD off his property and threw Mr O'Gorman's clipboard, which broke off a wall.
Judge David McHugh had described his actions as "appalling", "deliberate", and "homophobic, it would appear".
In evidence, Garda Joseph Rogers said Mr O'Gorman was canvassing at Erris Square at 12.40pm on November 2, 2024.
He was talking to the defendant outside his home, but Ronan became aggressive, grabbed his clipboard and flung it against a wall.
Ronan then told Mr O'Gorman to leave.
He pushed the TD off his property before grabbing him by the shoulders and demanding he leave the estate. Mr O'Gorman's garda protection officer intervened and led him away.
However, Ronan followed while recording them on his phone and saying: "Don't come back."
The court heard he told O'Gorman: "You have an old woman minding you, you big fairy."
Ronan had two previous convictions for minor road traffic offences.
His solicitor, Simon Fleming, had told the court it was "a shameful act" and "an affront to the whole democratic process". However, he stressed Ronan did not have far-right political views.
Mr Fleming said his client had lost his business due to the covid pandemic. Until then, he had employed five people and was upset about that loss.
The court heard Ronan had also donated €500, in Mr O'Gorman's name, to St Francis Hospice.
His victim impact statement was not read out during the hearing, but the defence solicitor said the politician was "a very compassionate and forgiving" person, and he had accepted Ronan's apology.
The solicitor said his client had "lost control" and had "made a fool of himself" and would have to deal with the publicity surrounding the case.
Judge McHugh had said the aggravating factor was this was an assault on an individual rendering a public service. However, he noted Ronan's early guilty plea, that he had apologised to the politician and co-operated with gardaÃ.
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