Courts / Dublin / Report

Brothers who tried to 'butcher' garda 'like an animal' are jailed

Date
2022-07-11

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Two brothers, Gavin Quinn (28) and Lee Quinn (27), were sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for attacking Garda Alan Murphy in Inchicore, Dublin, on 30 March 2020. Gavin pinned Murphy to the ground while Lee attempted to stab the officer in the eye with a six‑inch kitchen knife and later slashed him across the head. Both pleaded guilty to lesser charges: Gavin to assaulting a peace officer and Lee to attempting to cause serious harm. Gavin received a four‑year sentence with one year suspended, back‑dated to 5 June 2020, and Lee received seven years with one year suspended, back‑dated to 20 March 2020. The judge noted the brothers' aggressive conduct, prior convictions, and the impact on Murphy, who described the incident as a daily memory of confusion and danger. The sentences reflect the seriousness of the assault and the brothers' guilty pleas.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Brothers who tried to 'butcher' garda 'like an animal' are jailed. Charges or matters: assaulting a peace officer in the execution of his duty, contrary to Section 19(1) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, at St Vincent's Street West, Inchicore, Dublin 8, on March 30, 2020; attempting to cause serious harm to Gda Murphy on the same date at the same location. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

March 30, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
March 1 Hearing Or Sentence
March 20, 2020 Other
June 5, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
2022-07-11 Publication

Case subjects

Alan Murphy

Defendant

Outcome: Photo: Collins) Two brothers who tried to "butcher" a member of An Garda Siochana "like an animal" have received combined jail sentences totalling eight-and-a-half years at the Central Criminal Court.

Gavin Quinn

Defendant

Charges: assaulting a peace officer in the execution of his duty, contrary to Section 19(1) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, at St Vincent's Street West, Inchicore, Dublin 8, on March 30, 2020; attempting to cause serious harm to Gda Murphy on the same date at the same location (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: The Central Criminal Court heard during last month's sentence hearing that Gda Murphy had "no doubt in his mind" he would be dead today if it weren't for the assistance of emergency service colleagues from Dublin Fire Brigade, who pulled Lee Quinn away from him moments after the knife-wielding attacker had slashed the officer across the head. Passing sentence on both men today, the judge said Gda Murphy had provided a victim impact statement in which he said that he and his colleague had the sole intention of protecting all individuals that day.

Lee Quinn

Applicant

Charges: attempting to cause serious harm to Gda Murphy on the same date at the same location (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Lee Quinn was sentenced to seven years in prison with the final year suspended. The judge imposed a sentence of four years imprisonment on Gavin Quinn with the final year suspended on account of his guilty plea.