Repeat offender who assaulted garda and targeted city centre shop workers with threats and abuse gets jail sentence overturned
A repeat offender who assaulted a garda while swinging a hurley and targeted city centre shops, where he assaulted, racially abused and threatened to kill staff, has had his jail sentence replaced with a fully suspended term on appeal.
Connor Manning (29) was also ordered to write a letter of apology to the injured garda.
The defendant, with last address at Spire Hostel, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, had pleaded guilty to 15 offences including robbery, theft, assault and public order in the District Court.
The District Court Appeals Court yesterday heard that on August 18, 2022 gardai responded to an incident where Manning was swinging a hurley on Viking Harbour, Dublin 8.
He became aggressive and knocked a garda member to the ground, injuring her and lifting a nail from her nail bed. He continued to act aggressively and kicked the number plate from a garda patrol vehicle before being arrested for assault contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
On January 14, 2023, Garda responded to four incidents throughout the day at the Circle K shop on Nassau Street, Dublin 2.
On the first occasion, Manning threatened to kill staff if they pressed the panic alarm before stealing four cans of alcohol.
He later re-entered, stole a further eight cans of Budweiser and said: “If you press that button I will kill you”. He entered a further two times to take alcohol and cigarettes.
Manning also faced charges relating to punching a man in Temple Bar and demanding he go to an ATM with him to give him money in the early hours of April 20, 2023.
On August 19, 2024, gardai were called to the Tesco store on Fleet Street, Dublin 2 where Manning attempted to steal two packs of cider. He was racially abusive to staff members and threw a pack of cider at one worker, striking them in the head.
Defence counsel for Manning, Seosaimhín Ní Chathasaigh BL, said that his client had turned to drug abuse due to a tough life that “he has found difficult to escape”.
She said he was “thoroughly ashamed” of his actions and was open to residential drug treatment.
Judge James O’Donohoe said he did not have sympathy with regard to the assault on the garda with a hurley. However, he noted Manning’s troubled background in coming to his decision.
The judge said he would suspend Manning’s eight-month custodial sentence for two years on the conditions that he engages with drug addiction services, remains outside of the city centre area and writes a letter of apology to the injured garda.