Drunk wrote name in blood on wall of garda station cell

A railway worker was so drunk in Ballinasloe that – in resisting arrest – he punched a female garda in the stomach and kicked out at two other members before being restrained and handcuffed.

Even when Ciaran McGann was brought to Ballinasloe Garda Station, he continued to be aggressive and after being locked in a cell, he cut himself and wrote his name on the wall with his blood.

McGann (25), of Clontuskert, Ballinasloe, admitted assaulting the garda, public order offences and being involved in an affray in a pub.

The defendant, who has no previous convictions, was ordered to come up with €3,500 – €1,000 of which will go towards Garda Fiona Connell, the victim of the assault; €200 for the repainting of the prison cell and the rest to local charities.

Ballinasloe Court was told that his litany of offences began in Joe’s Bar on October 10 2021, where he was involved in a drunken row with a number of others and punched one man in the face.

Prosecuting Sergeant Stan O’Grady explained that the defendant then went to the Shearwater Hotel and gardaí received a report of a drunken man lying on the floor of the lobby.

When Garda Connell, Garda John Hannan and Garda Malachy Burke arrive at the scene, they found him to be extremely intoxicated and uncooperative. He could not stand up and had to be assisted by the officers.

He refused to provide his name or any details to the gardaí and then became aggressive towards the three.

Sergeant O’Grady said that McGann was eventually put in the patrol car but kicked out at the gardaí, before punching Garda Connell in the stomach. He had to be handcuffed.

He was brought to the Garda Station, put in a cell but then managed to cut his own hand and write his name on the wall with his blood.

Defending solicitor Mark Cooney told the court that his client had never been in trouble before that night or since. He said that the defendant was a contract worker on the railway and could not explain his behaviour on the occasion.

He said that he got very drunk that night and had gotten involved with other people in the pub where an incident took place.

Mr Cooney said his client left the pub and went to the hotel where the incidents with the gardai took place, which his client regretted.

“It is hard to explain how someone with such a clean record could end up in a situation like this,” he added and said that his client had €2,000 in court.

Judge James Faughnan described the assault on the garda as reprehensible and said that McGann would have to come up with another €1,500 because of the seriousness of his actions.

The matter was adjourned to the October 27 sitting of Ballinasloe Court for the remainder of the compensation to be paid over.