MALLOW MAN CHARGED AFTER SHOTS FIRED AT GARDAÍ
TWO PEOPLE HIT BY SHOTS FROM PELLET GUN WERE NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE INCIDENT
A 21-YEAR- OLD from North Cork has been remanded in custody after he was charged with firearm offences and endangerment following an incident at the weekend where shots were fired at gardai at two separate locations, including on the M8 in North Cork.
Tommy Mannah, who grew up in Mallow but was living until Sunday in a flat at Mount Vernon View in Cork city, was brought before Cork District Court on Monday and charged with a total of four offences arising out of the escapade late on Friday night and early on Saturday morning.
Mr Mannah was charged with two firearm offences, including one that he had a firearm or imitation firearm with him when he unlawfully used a car without the consent of the owner at Military Road in Cork on July 3, contrary to Section 26 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.
Mr Mannah was also charged that he used a firearm or imitation firearm for the purpose of resisting arrest by a member of An Garda Siochana on the M8 Northbound at Ballinahina, Rathcormac on July 4 contrary to Section 27 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.
He was also charged with endangerment of the public in that it’s alleged that, when driving a black VW Golf, he failed to stop at the Toll Plaza on the M8 at Condonstown, Watergrasshill, colliding with a barrier and creating substantial risk of death or serious harm to another on July 4.
And Mr Mannah, whom the court heard was born in Sierra Leone but came to Mallow when he was three, was also charged with unlawfully taking a VW Golf without the consent of the owner, his 44 year old partner, at Military Road, Cork on July 3, contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act.
Det Sgt Kieran O’Sullivan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution and told Judge Olann Kelleher that Mr Mannah made no reply to any of the four charges when they were put to them to him after his arrest outside Mayfield Garda Station at 6.05pm on July 5.
Det Sgt O’Sullivan said that gardai were objecting to bail for Mr Mannah given the seriousness of the charges and what they believe is the strong evidence supporting the charges, which stemmed from an incident where gardai were called to reports of a man breaking into a car at Military Road.
He said the state would allege that when gardai arrived at the scene, Mr Mannah fired a number of shots from a firearm at gardai, hitting one officer in the arm before driving off at high speed in a black VW Golf in the direction of Glanmire and exiting on to the M8 Northbound.
He said the state would allege that gardai had notified the Armed Support Unit who pursued Mr Mannah in the VW Golf and that he was waving a firearm out of the window of the car and that he discharged a number of shots at the ASU during the pursuit, which went on for almost 30kms.
He said the state would allege that Mr Mannah crashed through the toll barrier at the Toll Plaza on the M8 at Condonstown at Watergrasshill, and that gardai from Fermoy deployed a stinger to puncture the tyres on his vehicle but that he continued to ignore garda requests to stop.
He said that the state would allege that members of the ASU identified themselves as gardaí to Mr Mannah as he exited his vehicle and that he continued to fire at them, prompting them to return fire before he was finally tasered and arrested and brought to Fermoy Garda Station for questioning.
Det Sgt O’Sullivan said that the state believed that it had strong evidence to support the charges brought against Mr Mannah, including that he was in view of gardaí at all times from the time he left Military Road until his arrest, and he was also captured on CCTV footage during the escapade.
Cross-examined by Mr Mannah’s solicitor, Eddie Burke, if gardai would be satisfied to grant Mr Mannah bail if he were to reside with his mother at her home in Mallow, Det Sgt O’Sullivan said he would have serious concerns for both the public and Mr Mannah himself if he was granted bail.
He accepted that the firearm turned out to be a pellet pistol and neither the uniformed officer who was hit in the arm or Mr Mannah’s partner, who was earlier hit in the eye with a pellet from the gun, were seriously hurt, but it was nonetheless a very serious incident, he said.
He also accepted that Mr Mannah had been taken to Cork University Hospital for x-rays and medical assessment, and while gardaí had found prescriptions for anti-psychotic medicines at his flat, doctors had deemed that he was fit to be interviewed about the incident, said Det Sgt O’Sullivan.
“I don’t think he realises how serious this incident was, and he has not given any explanation why matters escalated in the way they did on Friday night – I would have concerns for the safety of the public and for the safety of Mr Mannah himself, if he is granted bail,” said Det Sgt O’Sullivan.
Mr Mannah’s mother, Maryam, told the court that her son had moved out of home when he was 16, but she was happy for him to live with her in Mallow, and if he stepped out of line with regard to whatever bail terms were imposed, she would immediately notify gardaí.
Judge Olann Kelleher said it was an extremely serious matter, particularly the firearm and endangerment charges, and having had the state outline the alleged facts of the case and their concern about granting Mr Mannah bail, he said he was going to remand him in custody.
He remanded Mr Mannah in custody to appear in court again by video link on July 13 for the DPP’s directions in the case, while he also directed that he receive appropriate medical attention at Cork Prison. He also granted him free legal aid and appointed Mr Burke to represent him.
Meanwhile, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) have since confirmed that, after examining the circumstances in which the ASU discharged their firearms, they had decided that an investigation was not necessary into the shooting in the public interest.