Courts / Kildare / Report

Man who crashed into British Embassy gates was "off medication"

Summary

In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 33‑year‑old Eric Hogan pleaded guilty to criminal damage after crashing a grey Peugeot into the outer gates of the British Embassy in Ballsbridge on 9 June 2018. Garda Declan Dunne, who was on duty outside the embassy that night, observed Hogan's vehicle collide with the gates, which were knocked off their rails. Hogan was shouting but his speech was incoherent, leading the Garda to suspect intoxication. However, the defence counsel, Pieter Le Vert, argued that Hogan was "off his medication" and dealing with psychiatric issues, and that he had no knowledge of drinking. Hogan had five prior convictions for public order offences and is the sole carer of his eight‑year‑old son. The judge, Pauline Codd, ordered a psychiatric report and adjourned sentencing to 12 April 2019. The repair cost for the gates was €33,500 plus VAT.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who crashed into British Embassy gates was "off medication". Charges or matters: criminal damage at the British Embassy, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, on June 9, 2018. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• June 9, 2018 Incident
• April 12, 2019 Adjournment
• 2019-01-30 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Public Order Stage Charge Or Pretrial

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Read the original CNI report