Eoin Murphy jailed for reckless endangerment of garda

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Eoin Murphy was sentenced to three and a half years, with the final year suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed the sentence. The proceedings were reported on 27 June 2015.

Murphy pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment by driving a car and to unlawful use of a car. The offences took place at Cianlea, Rathbeale Road, Swords, on 28 August 2013.

Murphy drove a stolen Nissan Micra towards the gap between a patrol car and a parked car. It struck the patrol car’s passenger door as Garda Karen Duffy tried to get back inside, banging the door into her head. She suffered a broken nose, a forehead wound requiring 30 stitches and a six-centimetre scar.

Murphy told gardaí he had taken 20 Diazepam tablets and was out robbing with three other youths. He said he panicked when he saw the patrol car’s blue lights and was trying to escape. He said he did not intend to hit the garda and did not realise he had hit her when he drove away.

Murphy had 30 previous convictions, including three for car theft. Keith Spencer BL, defending, said Murphy wholeheartedly apologised and had addressed his drug addiction. Judge Ring suspended the final year because of his good work with the Probation Services.