Former soldier pleads guilty to assaulting female garda
By Brendan Grehan
A FORMER soldier who bent back the traffic barrier at Tallaght Garda Station and then assaulted a female garda has been ordered to pay €1,000 to the Garda Benevolent Fund.
Naoise O’Conarain, aged 23, with an address at Redwood Lawn, Kilnamanagh, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to damaging the barrier at Tallaght Garda Station and assaulting Garda Karen Kehoe on September 5, 2015.
Garda Kehoe told Tallaght Court that at 2.30am on September 5 last, she was on duty in Tallaght Station when she observed O’Conarain walk up and bend back the security barrier on itself. She said she called out to him and he ran off.
She said she chased after him and found him hiding in a ditch. Garda Kehoe said she had no handcuffs or restraints with her and O’Conarain was very aggressive and he kicked out at her. She said O’Conarain had no previous convictions.
O’Conarain’s counsel, Gabby Deane, said her client was profoundly apologetic for his actions. She said he had a lot of drink taken on the night and had no memory of the incident.
Ms Deane said O’Conarain had been in the army but resigned due to a health problem before being medically discharged. Judge John Coughlan said he would take €1,000 for the Garda Benevolent Fund and he would strike out the charges.
He remanded O’Conarain for four months for payment of the donation.
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