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Darren Kelly, (38), formerly of Ardnacassa Avenue, Ardnacassa, Longford, appeared before Judge Keenan Johnson at Longford Circuit Court where evidence was given of Gardaí responding to a domestic call on Christmas night into St Stephen’s morning of 2020.
When Gardaí arrived at the house in Grian Ard, they were met by the accused’s daughter, who told them her father had badly assaulted his partner.
Upon entering the house, Mr Kelly became extremely agitated and began shouting and threatening to kill the four Gardaí.
Mr Kelly entered a guilty plea to the charges of threatening to kill Garda David Conroy and Garda Joe Kavanagh, as well as a charge of obstruction of a peace officer, Garda David Conroy. He was also charged with threatening to kill Garda Joe Kavanagh and Garda John Fitzmaurice.
The court heard how, during the incident, Mr Kelly made reference to a pick axe and threatened to use it on the four Gardaí. He attempted to go upstairs, causing Gardaí to fear he would get the implement and use it on them.
Gardaí attempted to restrain him and pepper spray was used but Mr Kelly continued to resist arrest.
The accused issued threats such as “I’ll beat every one of ye. I’ve done it before, don’t think I won’t” and threatened to kill them on a number of occasions.
The court heard that Mr Kelly shouted “she’s going in no ambulance, you won’t take her” when Gardaí tried to call an ambulance for Mr Kelly’s partner, who was “very seriously injured”, according to the evidence of Sgt Jarlath Nohilly.
He also shouted “I’ll deal with ye, I’ll sort ye, wait there” before attempting to go upstairs.
“Gardaí were of the belief that he’d cause harm to himself or to others,” said Sgt Nohilly.
In a victim impact statement read out in the court by Sgt Nohilly, Garda Shiel said it was originally a domestic call that Gardaí were called to because Mr Kelly’s partner was “visibly beaten in the face”.
He said Mr Kelly was in “an agitated state” and began threatening them, which caused Garda Shiel concern.
“I was attached to Longford Garda Station when he threatened a member with a knife in a similar incident,” he said.
Garda Shiel said Mr Kelly was “completely like a mad man” and that incapacitating spray “had no effect”.
Mr Kelly’s daughter also assaulted Garda Shiel in the course of performing his duty, causing him harm. He had damage to his left leg and was told he may require surgery. With physiotherapy, he recovered without a need for surgery.
“This was a very violent situation,” Garda Shiel said in his statement. Mr Kelly was “like someone possessed” and Garda Shiel “was glad to get out of that house relatively safe”.
Garda David Conroy, when reading his own victim impact statement to the court, said he “immediately knew he’d be confrontational” because he was aware Mr Kelly “had threatened Gardaí previously and had a hatred for members of An Garda Síochána”.
“I was conscious it was Christmas night and I had not long left my children,” said Garda Conroy, who took up duty at 7pm that night.
He said he was afraid he might have to explain to his children the next morning why he was bruised and battered after work.
“All I could think was will I get home to see my children the next morning,” he said.
Garda Conroy added that he has “never shied away from situations” but that he still replays that night over and over in his head.
He said he was “constantly scanning the room for knives” on the night of the incident because he was aware that Mr Kelly had previously chased Gardaí with knives.
He likened the accused to “a wild animal” and “a man possessed” and said he “seriously believed he’d harm me if he’d gotten a sharp implement”.
Mr Kelly has 47 previous convictions, two of which were for threatening to kill Gardaí. There were also a number of assaults, obstruction of peace officers, section three assaults, section two assaults and public order charges.
Previously, in May 2014, in a similar incident where Mr Kelly’s partner of the time reported she had been assaulted, two Gardaí arrived and heard shouting upstairs.
Sgt Nohilly explained to the court that, in that incident, Mr Kelly shouted from an upstairs window and told Gardaí to “f*ck off”.
“He said he had something for them,” said Sgt Nohilly, adding that Mr Kelly’s former partner ran out of the house with her children before Mr Kelly himself came outside wielding two large knives.
“He ran in the direction of a Garda with the weapons and chased him for 20 metres. Then he turned on a second member and chased him,” said Sgt Nohilly.
Garda Mulligan “lost his footing” and had to defend himself with pepper spray before managing to get up and run again.
Mr Kelly proceeded to chase the Garda across the green for 100 metres, threatening to kill him and shouting that he’d “stick this knife down his throat”.
Garda Carroll managed to drive around the green and pick his colleague up and no injuries were caused.
Mr Kelly was sentenced for that incident in the Circuit Court to four years with the final two suspended, and a consecutive sentence of three years with 18 months suspended for a period of five years.
The court also heard how Mr Kelly was under a peace bond from a conviction for section three assault at the time of the commission of these offences.
Mr Kelly told the court that he has stopped drinking and is on a waiting list for anger management. He explained that he was “dependent on alcohol” at the time and said threatening Gardaí “is something I regret”.
Judge Keenan Johnson labelled the incident as “scandalous and outrageous” and said “had it come before me within three or four months, he’d automatically have gone to jail”.
“These threats were absolutely shocking and had a negative impact on the Garda members who were carrying out their duty,” he said.
“I want to commend the Gardaí for their perseverance in still endeavouring to undertake their duties.”
Judge Johnson ordered that a sum of €2,700 that was brought to court by Mr Kelly should be divided among the four Garda victims who deserved compensation for their “appalling experience”.
He then ordered a probation report and remanded Mr Kelly on continuing bail to January 9, 2024, for sentencing.
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