ON the 10th day of the traveller riots trial in Tuam District Court, Judge John Neil an issued a stern warning that he would tolerate no interference with the running of his court or any attempt to intimidate witnesses in the case.
Before the court are 34 members of the extended Ward family, on charges arising out of two days of violence which followed a fight between the Ward and the McDonagh families in Tuam graveyard last June.
Judge Neilan issued his warning after Supt Bill Fennell told the court that one of the defendants, Mr Anthony Ward jnr, had approached a garda witness during yesterday's hearing on a matter relating to the trial.
Judge Neilan said if anyone thought they could run a parallel system of justice alongside the court they were very much mistaken, and if they thought they were going to intimidate anyone in his court, then they were making an even bigger mistake.
Garda Jim Cosgrove told the judge that Mr Ward jnr had approached him that morning outside the courthouse and challenged him on a matter related to the case. Garda Cosgrove said the defendant had made a similar approach to him on the day the trial opened in February.
He had earlier given evidence that the same defendant had swung a slashhook at him when he arrived at the scene of the disturbances at the home of the McDonagh family at Weir Road, Tuam, on June 3rd last. He said he recognised Mr Ward as one of a crowd of between 100 and 130 gathered outside the McDonagh home and when he tried to arrest him, Mr Ward had swung at him with a slashhook and got away.
Garda Cosgrove said that when he arrived at the scene he saw a large number of people, many of whom were carrying weapons such as slashhooks, hatchets, pieces of timber and rocks. When the patrol car arrived the crowd dispersed and as he was attempting to get the situation under control he was hit by three rocks, thrown at him from behind.
Garda Cosgrove suffered back injuries from the assault and had to take time off work to recover.
Garda Cosgrove said he was born and reared in Tuam and knew many of the people involved in the case. He said that in 17 years of service he had never come across such scenes as he had witnessed at the McDonagh home.
Garda Mary Burke gave evidence of being in the first patrol car to arrive at the scene and witnessing rocks and stones being thrown at the McDonagh home. A large number of the men were carrying implements such as slash hooks and hatchets. She said she went to a white Transit van and on opening the side door discovered a pile of similar implements. When she began to remove these implements someone jumped into the van and drove it away.
Garda Jim Ellife, who was also in the first patrol car to arrive at the McDonagh home, said someone had called Tuam Garda station in distress and said: "Come quick or we'll all be killed."
He told the court that Mr Edward McDonagh snr had told him he had seen a member of the Ward family discharge a gun in the direction of the house during the attack. Garda Ellife said he was told this person had come halfway up the garden path and discharged a shot at the house. He told the court he could find no evidence of gunfire.
The trial continues today.