An extremely violent man who went on “a frenetic rampage like a man possessed” in Sligo attacked four gardaí in a patrol van with an axe, smashed windows and left them fearing they would be beheaded.
Damien O’Sullivan (32) of St Brigid’s Place, Sligo, went on a seven-hour rampage on May 1st last year, during which he threatened to kill gardaí by confronting and chasing them with the axe, damaged two Garda vans and a patrol car, barricaded himself in his home and threw tiles off the roof at gardaí.
“When I saw him run toward the van with a hatchet I knew he was going to use it. I felt totally and utterly helpless,” said Garda Mark Irwin at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court on Friday.
Judge Keenan Johnson heard that Garda Clodagh Sharkey and Garda Conor McNulty were first on the scene after a 999 call at 1am and found the defendant highly agitated.
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Sgt Terence McMahon and Garda Irwin arrived just as O’Sullivan was charging down the stairs at gardaí with a long-handled axe, forcing them to flee. They radioed for the Garda Armed Support Unit and were told it was 40 minutes away.
They pepper-sprayed the defendant several times. He then ran up the street and things “escalated”, according to Garda Sharkey’s statement.
Gardas Sharkey, Irwin and McMahon jumped into the patrol van and O’Sullivan began hitting the front of it with the axe, threatening to kill them.
“With one violent swing he smashed the window in,” said Garda Irwin in the witness box. “He continued to swing the axe. I knew in one direct shot he was going to kill me. I closed my eyes and waited for the hit. I felt the wind [of the axe],” he said.
The three gardaí ran for their lives up the street, along with Garda McNulty. O’Sullivan continued to chase them until he was eventually subdued by taser at around 8am.
He pleaded guilty on December 18th, 2024 to endangering the lives of Garda Clodagh Sharkey, Garda Tom O’Connor and Garda Conor McNulty, by confronting them and chasing them while armed with an axe.
He also pleaded guilty to endangering and threatening to kill Garda Sharkey, Garda Irwin and Sgt McMahon while they were inside a patrol van by using an axe to smash its windows.
O’Sullivan also pleaded guilty to causing €5,000 worth of damage to the roof slates and furniture of the house, which was owned by Sligo County Council, and causing €20,000 worth of damage to the Garda vehicles.
Colm Smyth SC, defending, told the court that O’Sullivan had continuing mental health issues. O’Sullivan said he was “truly sorry” for his actions.
Judge Johnston remanded O’Sullivan in custody to July 15th for sentence and ordered psychiatric care for him to be “fast-tracked”.
