Five Gardaí had to take violent drink driver into cell

A final year medical student was disqualified from driving for six years for his second drink driving offence.

Ahmad Hegazy (25), 29 Garbally Oaks, Ballinasloe, pleaded guilty before Galway District Court to drunken driving at College Road, Galway on May 25, 2016.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting two Gardai at Galway Garda Station following his arrest and he also pleaded guilty to four counts of dangerous driving at four different locations around the city on the same night.

Garda Noel Donoghue gave evidence he was on patrol in the city on the night in question in an unmarked Garda car when he noticed a car being driven dangerously by the accused.

He activated the blue light and siren on the patrol car and following further incidents of dangerous driving at Tuam Road, College Road, Bohermore and Bothar Ui Eithir, he managed to stop the car with the help of another Garda on a motorbike.

He said he spoke to the defendant who was unable to spell his name for him and called him a fool.

Garda Donoghue said Hegazy failed a roadside breath test and when he went to arrest him, he said the accused said to him:  “You can’t arrest me, you’re just an arse hole.  Would you ever f**k off.”

A breath sample at Galway Garda Station showed a reading of 84 mgs of alcohol per 100mls of breath.

The court was told Hegazy became extremely abusive and aggressive in the Garda Station. It took a number of GardaÍ to place him in a cell.

Garda Donoghue said he contacted Hegazy’s parents and they arrived at the Garda Station with Hegazy’s sister.  All three, the court was told, are doctors.

They could hear the accused kicking and shouting from the cell as they spoke to Garda Donoghue in the public office.

Both parents and the sister were allowed to speak to the accused through the cell door and he seemed to calm down after that.

Reluctantly, the Gardaí decided to release him and they advised his parents to bring him home in a taxi so that he might sober up.

Garda Donoghue said Hegazy continued to argue and fight with his father on the way up the hallway from the cell to the public office.

He then refused to get into a taxi outside the Garda Station.  Gardaí retreated into the Station, hoping the accused would leave with his family if they were not in view.

Seconds later, Hegazy came back into the public office where he kicked in double doors which led into the front office.  He knocked everything onto the floor, putting a female Garda who was alone in the office, in fear.

He then ran out into the car park and started fighting with his father again before hitting his mother across the face.

Hegazy’s mother pleaded with Garda Donoghue to take her son away.

It took five Gardai to bring Hegazy, who was kicking, punching and screaming, back into the cell again.

He managed to kick Garda Donoghue in the hands and stomach after he removed his handcuffs and then punched him in the face.

“I have never dealt with such an angry or violent person in all my career. It was as if someone hit a switch and he went totally ‘off the wall’,” Garda Donoghue explained.

In reply to Judge Mary Fahy, he said Hegazy had one previous conviction for drunken driving.  The date of that offence was November 2, 2015.  He had been convicted on February 25 last year and had been disqualified from driving for two years at the time.

Defence barrister, Gary McDonald said his client’s drink must have been spiked that night as that was the only explanation that could be given for his violent behaviour.

He said his client was a final year medical student and a conviction would be detrimental to his career.

Garda Donoghue told the court that the Gardai didn’t want “to go to town” on the accused.

“We didn’t want to destroy him, but what he did was completely ‘off the wall’. I have gone to riot situations before but his behaviour was crazy,” Garda Donoghue added.

Judge Fahy said there was no excuse for the accused going out drink driving on a second occasion. She convicted and fined Hegazy a total of€1,400 and disqualified him from driving for six years.