A man who struck a detective garda with a car and then reversed towards him as he lay injured on the ground has been jailed for 4½ years, with the final six months suspended.
After hitting Det Gda Shane O’Neill, the defendant, Thomas Connors, reversed his car at the injured garda, who had to crawl out of the way of the Audi TT as it came towards him and rammed his Garda patrol car.
Connors (40), with an address at Ballyart, Brittas, Co Limerick, and previously of Brindle Hall, Charleville, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to one count of endangerment and one count of failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic collision at Brú na Gruadán, Castletroy, Co Limerick, on February 10th, 2025.
The prosecution entered a nolle prosequi (withdrawal) in respect of charges against Connors including that he failed to keep his car at the scene, failed to report the collision, caused criminal damage to the Garda patrol car, and dangerous driving.
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The court heard Det Gda O’Neill, who was on mobile patrol duty, received an alert about a silver Audi TT car suspected of being involved in a criminal offence in the Patrickswell area.
When Det Gda O’Neill came across the car he attempted to stop it after he got a clear view of Connors driving, as well as another man wearing a balaclava in the front passenger seat.
The garda got out of his patrol car and approached the vehicle, identifying himself as a member of An Garda Síochána.
Connors pleaded guilty to “intentionally or recklessly driving at and ramming an official Garda patrol vehicle, causing Det Gda Shane O’Neill to fall to the ground and be injured and then driving at Det Gda O’Neill while he was lying on the ground and thereby created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another”.
The court heard Det Gda O’Neill was flung up to three metres away from where he was struck by Connors’ car.
Det Gda O’Neill was forced “to crawl out of the way” of the Audi TT as Connors reversed it, ramming the patrol car, knowing he was lying injured on the ground.
Connors and his accomplice sped off in the Audi travelling on the wrong side of the road and the wrong way around a roundabout.
Det Gda O’Neill was taken by ambulance to hospital and treated for injuries to his right shoulder and his back. The court heard he has been “unable” to return to duty due to his injuries.
Sentencing judge Colin Daly said: “Thomas Connors drove purposely at Gda O’Neill, creating a risk of significant injury or death.
“He reversed and rammed the Garda car, he knew Gda O’Neill was behind him and continued to reverse,” said the judge.
“He drove in the most dangerous of manners, and at great risk to children and families who were living in the [Castletroy] area.”
Connors had previous convictions including 29 convictions for road traffic offences, robbery and burglary.
Judge Daly said that anyone who “weaponises cars or who use their vehicles as weapons” should face a custodial sentence, and he said he was satisfied that a headline sentence of six years was appropriate in Connors’ case.
In mitigation, the judge said he took into consideration Connors’ guilty plea, his “remorse”, a “letter of apology”, and that Connors was attending educational courses in prison in an effort to “rehabilitate himself” while awaiting sentence.
Reducing the sentence to 4½ years with the final six months suspended, the judge directed that Connors engage with a probation service supervision order for 12 months after his sentence ends.
