A GARDA has spoken of how he watched his colleague being thrown up to 15ft into the air after he was struck by a car. Garda Shane Lavelle recounted how Garda Robbie McCallion was hit by the car after responding to a call of a car robbery in Letterkenny, Co Donegal on March 26th, 2009.
Garda McCallion died in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital less than two weeks later on April 7th as a result of his injuries. The man driving the car, Jamie McGrenaghan, yesterday pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Garda McCallion (29), at Letterkenny Circuit Court.
McGrenaghan pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing Garda McCallion’s death but he also pleaded not guilty to endangering the lives of two other gardaí on the same date.
Both of those gardaí gave evidence in court yesterday about the moments leading up to and after the incident which later claimed the life of the young garda.
Garda McCallion, Garda Lavelle and another Garda Joanne Doherty all travelled together in a patrol car to Tara Court on the outskirts of Letterkenny where there had been a report of two men trying to steal a car.
When they got there they saw a white 1998 Toyota Corolla facing them with a man standing beside it. Behind it was a red 1994 Peugeot being driven by McGrenaghan (19), of Gortnatra, Kerrykeel.
When the gardaí got out of the car, the driver of the Peugeot reversed it more than 100 yards and was revving loudly.
The gardaí then decided to put the car across the road behind the white Corolla car in a bid to stop the Peugeot from escaping from the cul-de-sac.
However, McGrenaghan revved up the car and tried to drive between a gap to escape.
Seconds later there was a collision and Garda McCallion was struck and thrown into the next garden suffering serious injuries, including head injuries.
Garda Lavelle revealed how he went over to the driver of the car and demanded he get out of the car. However, the driver, McGrenaghan opened the door and then tried to flee down the road.
Garda Lavelle ran after him and caught him by the shoulder but McGrenaghan, who was just 17 at the time, continued to try to get away.
Eventually, Garda Lavelle drew his baton, wrestled McGrenaghan to the ground and managed to handcuff and arrest him.
Garda Doherty said she did not see the car hitting Garda McCallion as she had been crouching behind the patrol car fearing for her safety.
“All I saw was this car coming towards us at speed. I crouched behind the patrol car and heard a loud bang. Garda Lavelle told me to go to Garda McCallion.
“When I went over to him he was unconscious and there was a fence on his neck which I lifted off him to help him breathe,” she said.
The trial is expected to last three days.