A motorist who dragged an arresting garda for six metres has been given a five-year suspended sentence.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Dylan Walsh (33) was suffering from mental health issues and intoxication during a “moment of madness” and was extremely remorseful.
Walsh, of Valeview Drive, Finglas, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to endangerment, damaging a garda vehicle and driving without insurance at Castleknock on May 20th, 2024.
He has 12 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences.
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Sentencing Walsh on Monday, Judge Pauline Codd said the offence was aggravated by the fact that it was a charge against a garda.
She noted that the victim sustained multiple injuries and required surgery. She also acknowledged that a victim impact statement before the court stated that the garda no longer has the confidence to work “on the front line”.
The judge set a headline sentence of six-and-a-half years. She also ordered that Walsh be disqualified from driving for 10 years.
The judge took mitigating factors into account, including the fact that Walsh had issues with his mental health at the time, had not come to adverse attention since and had made efforts to deal with his mental health difficulties.
“His behaviour on the night is not the behaviour of someone in the whole of their mind,” Codd said.
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She added that a report from the Probation Service indicated that Walsh was at medium risk of reoffending due to his “low record of conviction” and also his family support.
“The Probation Service are willing to continue to supervise him,” Codd said, adding that Walsh requires regular support for his mental health.
“Had he a previous history of violence I would have taken a different view. That may be of cold comfort to the garda and I wish him well in his recovery,” Codd said.
She noted that Walsh had demonstrated a good insight into his offending and had taken responsibility for it, before she imposed a five-year term of imprisonment, suspended in full on condition that he engage with the Probation Service for three years and remain compliant in terms of his mental health regime.
Garda Paul McMahon told Oisin Clarke, prosecuting, that following an escalation of an argument at his former partner’s home, Walsh pulled a TV from the wall and at this stage she called gardaí.
She told gardaí she had seen Walsh remove a sword from behind his bedside locker.
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Gardaí attended the scene and observed a male in a parked BMW. The car took off at speed but was blocked in by gardaí at the entrance to the apartment complex. A number of gardaí approached the stopped car, but it reversed and they had to take evasive action
The car was unable to proceed further and gardaí approached it again. A garda opened the front passenger door and spotted the sword. He attempted to retrieve the weapon and effect an arrest, but to do that had to partially enter the vehicle.
He identified himself as a garda and was in full uniform. The car drove off and dragged the garda for approximately six metres before he was ejected. The garda suffered injuries to his arm, neck, head and elbow. He was out of work for five months.
Walsh managed to get the car past gardaí, who had to take evasive action, and the car was later recovered following a press appeal.
Walsh was arrested four days later and made admission in interview. He claimed he had planned to kill himself, and that if he had been arrested, he would not have been able to carry out that plan.
The court heard his partner of the time had to leave her home and change her job.
The injured garda described significant financial loss, as well as physical and psychological effects. He said he had feared for his own life, and the incident had massively impacted his confidence. He has since changed his career path away from frontline policing. He has been left with ongoing health issues, and his family have also been affected.
Simon Matthews, defending, said Walsh had suffered with mental health issues for many years. He said the medication he had been taking at the time had a negative effect on him, and that he had also taken alcohol.
He submitted that Walsh’s driving had been a “moment of madness”. He had written a letter of apology to the garda and was extremely remorseful.
He said Walsh’s former partner did not suffer injury and there had been no further incidents in relation to her. He said she had given a statement in great detail outlining Walsh’s issues and how she had attempted to look after him.
He handed in letters from family members and a psychologist’s report. He said Walsh was now doing as well as he ever had, that he still thinks about the incident, and has felt sorry for it every day since.
