Trio sentenced for assauling off-duty gardaí in Cork city centre 

Two off-duty members of An Garda Síochána were entitled to socialise in Cork city without being the victims of unprovoked attacks by men acting like boxers, a circuit court judge said as she sentenced the three assailants yesterday.

Judge Helen Boyle said that Christmas revellers out enjoying themselves in the city were also entitled to do so without the spectacle of this kind of violence on Oliver Plunkett St.

The judge noted that the two victims did not engage physically with the three attackers, and that the off-duty gardaí only tried to defuse the situation.

All three pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm and one of engaging with others in violent disorder.

Judge Boyle described Thomas Dooley as the most culpable, as she jailed him for three years. The teenager, who cannot be named, was jailed for one year. Patrick Dooley, who had only been convicted once before, for public order offence, was given a fully suspended two-year sentence.

All three stripped to the waist on the night and punched the off-duty gardaí repeatedly on a night out in Cork city. Sergeant Eamon Feehan said the two gardaí identified themselves as gardaí but this did nothing to deter the attackers.

Sgt Feehan said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that other than putting up their hands to defend themselves, the off-duty gardaí did not fight in any way with the three assailants during the incident, which was seen by CCTV.

Incident

The violent incident occurred on December 6, 2021. Two of those involved in causing harm to the gardaí have since been convicted of murder. They murdered 43-year-old Thomas Dooley at the cemetery in Tralee on October 5, 2022, some 10 months after the incident in Cork city centre for which they faced sentencing.

One of those two men cannot be identified as he was 16 at the time of the assaults causing harm in Cork city, and 17 at the time of the Tralee murder.

The other man involved in both incidents was Thomas Dooley of the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, who is now aged 22.

The third man — Patrick Dooley — had nothing to do with the incident in Tralee and was only ever convicted once for a minor public order incident. Patrick Dooley, aged 19, of Bay 3, halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, faced sentencing for his part in assault causing harm to the two off-duty gardaí, Garda Barry O’Shea and Garda Keith Cahill at Oliver Plunkett St on December 6, 2021.

Sgt Feehan said when the injured parties identified themselves as gardaí, Thomas Dooley said: “Ye throw the first punch.”

Sgt Feehan testified: “They committed the assaults with great enthusiasm, removing their tops and taking boxer stances during the attack.”

In respect of the custodial sentences, they will run concurrently with the terms they are serving for the Tralee murder.