A stonemason who was having a mental breakdown when he caused €17,000 worth of damage to a garda's teeth by kicking a patrol-car door has been given a year to pay compensation.
Peter Gallagher, a native of north Mayo who now lives at Caherlane Meadows, Muckross Road, Killarney, Co Kerry, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to assaulting Garda Gerry Sweeney, who sustained four chipped and cracked teeth on August 10th, 2002, outside a house in Castlepark, Galway.
He further pleaded guilty to causing damage to the rear window of a Garda patrol car.
Garda Sweeney gave evidence that he received a call at 4.55 a.m. on the date in question to assist two gardaí who had been called to a domestic dispute.
Gallagher had had a row with his girlfriend, and she had been placed in a first patrol car. The accused threw a concrete block at the rear window of the car as she sat in the back seat.
On arrival in a second patrol car, Garda Sweeney said he saw Garda Maher grab the accused by both arms from behind.
As Garda Sweeney went to get out of his patrol car, Gallagher used Garda Maher as a type of springboard, lifting both of his feet and kicking the car door back against Garda Sweeney's face.
All four bottom front teeth were pushed back, and the garda fell back into the car. Garda Sweeney said he took hold of the damaged teeth and tried to push then back into place, but to no avail.
While the two outer teeth healed, the two middle front teeth needed root-canal treatment, and he had required orthodontic treatment over an 18-month period.
Judge Harvey Kenny said one could not get a stonemason to build a wall in Kerry, such was the demand for their work. The accused would never be out of work and could pay compensation for such a dreadful assault.
He adjourned sentencing for one year and directed that an account be opened by the court office into which Gallagher would pay a regular sum over the year until Garda Sweeney's expenses were discharged.
He put Gallagher under the care of the Kerry probation service and ordered him to participate in drink and anger-management courses. He remanded him on continuing bail to October 2005.