Courts / Ireland / Report
Prisoner handed eight-month sentence for kicking garda sergeant
Summary
In a Dún Laoghaire District Court hearing on 22 October 2025, Corey Plunkett, aged 32, pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda Sergeant Cara O'Sullivan on 23 May 2021. While in custody for a public order offence, Plunkett kicked the sergeant in the back, causing a jolt and ongoing back pain. He is already serving a four‑year prison term, with the final year suspended, for assault and possession of a weapon. Defence counsel highlighted Plunkett's history of drug misuse, including cocaine addiction. Judge Anne Watkin described the incident as a "very serious assault" on a garda, noting the injuries were not necessarily deliberate but had serious consequences. The maximum sentence available was 12 months; the judge imposed an eight‑month imprisonment sentence to run concurrently with Plunkett's existing term.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Prisoner handed eight-month sentence for kicking garda sergeant. Charges or matters: assaulting Sergeant Cara O'Sullivan while she was on duty at Dún Laoghaire Garda Station on 23 May, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 23 May Incident
- 2025-10-22 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: assaulting Sergeant Cara O'Sullivan while she was on duty at Dún Laoghaire Garda Station on 23 May, 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Plunkett is currently serving a four-year prison sentence, with the final year suspended, after being convicted and sentenced at the Circuit Criminal Court in May for assault and possession of a weapon. She imposed a sentence of eight months' imprisonment, to run concurrently with Plunkett's existing sentence.
Places mentioned
- Library Road
- Dún Laoghaire District Court
- Circuit Criminal Court
- duty at Dún Laoghaire Garda Station
Topics
Drugs Public Order Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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