Courts / Dublin / Report

Detective tells court of 'deeply harrowing' experience of being strangled at halting site

Summary

Detective Garda John Pirollo described being strangled by John McDonagh during an arrest at a halting site as a "deeply harrowing experience" with lasting emotional and psychological effects. McDonagh, 36, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and was jailed for two and a half years. The court heard that McDonagh had a history of 23 previous convictions, including assault and drug offenses. During the incident, McDonagh drove at the detective, attempted to pin him between his car and a patrol vehicle, and later strangled him during a struggle. The garda suffered injuries, including bruising and difficulty swallowing. McDonagh expressed remorse, wrote a letter of apology, and offered €5,000 as a token of remorse. Judge Martina Baxter noted the seriousness of the incident and the risk to the garda's life, but took mitigating factors into account, including McDonagh's guilty plea and mental health issues. She imposed a headline sentence of four years, reduced to three-and-a-half years with the final 12 months suspended on conditions.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Detective tells court of 'deeply harrowing' experience of being strangled at halting site. Charges or matters: assault causing harm to Det Gda Pirollo at the halting site on August 20, 2023. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

• August 20, 2023 Incident
• April 4, 2023 Incident
• 2026-07-07 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report