Courts / Dublin / Report

Three jailed for vicious attack on gardai

Date
2024-01-29

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Three men – Steven Byrne (36), Jonathan Dolan (47) and Anthony Grogan (55) – pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting Gardaí and one count of violent disorder for an unprovoked attack on two Gardaí outside a takeaway on Ballyfermot Road on 21 November 2022. The Gardaí, Phillip Nash, Sean Savage and Nicole Malcolmson, were injured; Savage required staples and stitches to his head and Malcolmson suffered a knee injury. CCTV footage was shown in court. The men were arrested at the scene or later that day. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced each to 27 months imprisonment, to run concurrently on each count of assault and the violent disorder count. The sentence was imposed after the men pleaded guilty, cooperated, made admissions and expressed remorse. The court noted the Gardaí were performing their lawful duty when assaulted. The men's prior convictions were mentioned but did not affect the sentencing. The sentence was delivered in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Three jailed for vicious attack on gardai. Charges or matters: assaulting gardai; violent disorder. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

November 21, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
2024-01-29 Publication

Why: "The assaults are bad but it seems to me that neither three men came out that night with the intention of assaulting these guards," he said, but added that "each is responsible for the acts of the other because it seems to me they were acting together". CNI source report

Case subjects

Anthony Grogan

Defendant

Charges: assaulting gardai; violent disorder (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Judge Nolan sentenced the three men to 27 months imprisonment to run concurrently on each count of assault and the count of violent disorder.

Jonathan Dolan

Defendant

Charges: assaulting gardai; violent disorder (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Judge Nolan sentenced the three men to 27 months imprisonment to run concurrently on each count of assault and the count of violent disorder.

Steven Byrne

Defendant

Charges: assaulting gardai; violent disorder (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Judge Nolan sentenced the three men to 27 months imprisonment to run concurrently on each count of assault and the count of violent disorder.

Unnamed man

Defendant

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: By David O'Sullivan Three men who launched a "vicious" unprovoked attack on two gardai outside a takeaway, leaving both hospitalised and requiring medical attention, have been jailed for 27 months. Judge Nolan sentenced the three men to 27 months imprisonment to run concurrently on each count of assault and the count of violent disorder.