Black Lives Matter protest on Salthill Prom turned nasty

A 19-year-old student who took part in a ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest on Salthill Prom last summer, became abusive and physically obstructed a Garda who was bringing a prisoner back to the Garda Station.

Richard Kamson, Sraith Fhada, Doughiska, now realises that members of An Garda Síochána are nothing like their counterparts in US law enforcement, his solicitor, Ronan Murphy, told Galway District Court this week.

Richard Kamson

Kamson, a promising athlete and PR student at GMIT pleaded guilty to obstructing Garda Declan Whelan in the execution of his duty, and to breaching the peace, by engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour at the Promenade on May 30 last year.

Sergeant Cathal Rodgers said a group of up to 40 teenagers had congregated at the Prom for a Black Lives Matter march when at around 6.30pm, Gardaí encountered some of them as they were escorting a prisoner back to the Garda Station on foot.

The teenagers starting shouting “police brutality” and “let the prisoner go”, before a group of them started pushing and shoving the Gardaí and shouting into their faces.

Garda Whelan’s hat and tie were pulled off him in the ensuing skirmish.

A number of youths blocked Garda Whelan’s path as he tried to make his way back to the Garda Station and one of them was Kamson, Sgt Rodgers explained.

He said the accused made full admissions to the charges against him when he gave a voluntary memo to Gardaí on October 20 last.

He confirmed the accused had no previous convictions.

Mr Murphy said his client and his parents were taking this matter very seriously before conceding Kamson’s actions on the day were “completely indefensible”.

Mr Murphy said this occurred against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement after what happened to George Floyd in Minnesota.

“He accepts the Gardaí are nothing like the police force in the US. They’re a more structured, civilised organisation, and he accepts that,” Mr Murphy said.

“This was very much out of character and occurred out of a misplaced sense of justice,” the solicitor added while handing, what he described as very glowing references – including one from Galway Harriers – into court which stated his client was a promising athlete.

Mr Murphy said his client would never appear before the court again. “He did something very silly and appreciates the seriousness of it now,” he added.

Judge Mary Fahy said it was very serious. She said the incident occurred during the first lockdown when people didn’t understand the rules and regulations and Gardaí had to patrol areas to prevent large congregations from forming.

She said she accepted people found it difficult back then, but they had a better understanding of the rules and regulations now.

“At that time, there were more questions than answers. That’s not the case now because of the ‘roadmaps’.  It’s more clear and people know where they are going and they feel they are moving forward,” she said.

The judge said Kamson’s behaviour could not be condoned or excused by the lockdown.

Sgt Rodgers said the obstruction of Garda Whelan was at the upper end on the scale of gravity and only ended because other Gardaí happened to be there.

Judge Fahy agreed the situation could have escalated and could have been very serious for Garda Whelan.

She told the accused there was absolutely no correlation between this incident and what happened to the unfortunate George Floyd in the US.

Mr Murphy said his client accepted the Gardaí were a “very well-run organisation” and he now realised Gardaí could have been injured.

The solicitor asked Judge Fahy to give his client a chance and adjourn the matter to a later date to await the findings of a Garda behaviour report.

He said his client had learnt a very sobering lesson and his parents had been very hard on him.

Judge Fahy suggested the parents, who both work, might like to make some restitution to society.

She adjourned sentence to September 1, to await the findings of a Garda behaviour report and said that if it was good, she might consider a contribution from the parents to a worthwhile cause, adding that she wanted their son to understand what he did was wrong and he will not do it again.