MAN ADMITS DRAGGING GARDA 40 METRES WITH CAR
Disqualified driver had ‘rush of blood to head’ when pulled over
A GARDA suffered serious head injuries being dragged around 40 metres along a road after a motorist resisted having his car seized, a court heard yesterday.
George Richard Asimionesei pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving and endangerment as a result of an incident at Barberstown, Co Kildare, on August 22, 2022.
Naas Circuit Criminal Court heard the 23-year-old, of Barrack Court, Rathcoole, Co Dublin, who was also charged with driving without insurance and having no driving licence, had been disqualified at the time of the offence.
Sergeant Philip Taylor told the court the injured garda, Gerard Kennedy, resigned from the force last October, although “not solely on medical grounds”.
Sgt Taylor said the victim had been on a routine evening patrol in Celbridge when he noticed a red BMW coupe with two occupants driving at high speed.
He said Gda Kennedy formed the view the vehicle was trying to evade gardai. The BMW eventually stopped at Barberstown outside Straffan, Co Kildare, when Gda Kennedy activated his vehicle’s blue lights.
The court heard Asimionesei was hesitant in providing his name and was unable to produce a driving licence. Sgt Taylor said the accused begged officers not to take his vehicle off him.
However, he took off “at speed” as Gda Kennedy put his hand in the driver’s window to take his key.
Counsel for the DPP, Daniel Boland BL, said Gda Kennedy would never forget the fear he felt as the vehicle took off.
The court heard he suffered concussion after falling back onto the road from the moving car and required 15 staples to his head. Taxi driver Gerard Mccabe, who witnessed the incident, said he saw a car shoot out from between two Garda vehicles “with a body sticking out the driver’s side window”.
He added: “He was dragged for so long that I thought he was dead.”
The occupants fled the vehicle when it crashed a short distance away. Asimionesei was arrested in the village the following morning, having been reported by a witness.
Sgt Taylor said the accused told gardai he had not been driving the vehicle “at any time”. However, a thumb print found on the driver’s wheel was found to belong to Asimionesei. His phone was also discovered in the car.
The court heard Asimionesei has 22 previous convictions, mostly for theft and road traffic offences.
He had also “gone missing” for more than five months while on bail before presenting himself to gardai last February.
Cross-examined by counsel for the accused, Aisling Murphy BL, Sgt Taylor agreed her client’s actions were “reckless but fuelled by panic”.
Ms Murphy said Asimionesei had brought €2,000 to court for his victim which was “all he has to his name”.
The court heard he had attended schools in Celbridge and Leixlip and had worked as a retail assistant and in a warehouse prior to his arrest.
She said he had experienced “utter panic and a rush of blood to the head” when gardai tried to seize the car.
The barrister said she had testimonies from family and friends which testified that he was “honest, reliable and caring”.
Judge Martina Baxter adjourned sentencing until today to allow time to consider a probation report.