Courts / Wicklow / Report
Man bit and broke garda's finger while trying to flee courthouse
Summary
In March 2018, Brandon Power, aged 22, assaulted Garda Thomas Devereux in Bray courthouse, biting the officer's finger and breaking the bone. He pleaded guilty in 2019 and received a 12‑month suspended sentence, later deemed unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal. The appeal court postponed re‑sentencing to allow Power to engage with probation services. On 15 March 2021, the Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, warned Power that a severe penalty would follow if he failed to take advantage of the opportunity offered. The court required regular urinalysis, full cooperation with probation, and attendance at all appointments. It emphasized that any prospect of leniency depends on Power's conduct and that a prison sentence is likely if he does not cooperate. The court gave him one more chance to prove his willingness to comply.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man bit and broke garda's finger while trying to flee courthouse. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- March 31, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 11, 2019 Incident
- 2021-03-15 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Last year the three-judge Court of Appeal heard that Power was being sentenced for another matter when he became aggrieved and attempted to flee. The court found that a 12-month suspended sentence imposed on Power was unduly lenient but decided to postpone re-sentencing to allow him to engage with probation services.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- St Joseph's Road
- Newtownmountkennedy
- Wicklow
- Bray
- Bray courthouse
Topics
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