Son of Sinn Féin TD is accused of assaulting a garda
A SON of Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has been accused of assaulting a garda and causing a public order disturbance in north Dublin.
Fearghal Ó Snodaigh (23) is alleged to have become threatening, before resisting arrest and assaulting the officer in an incident at a Garda station.
The case against him was adjourned when he appeared in Dublin District Court accused of three offences.
Mr Ó Snodaigh, with an address at Naas Road, Dublin 8, was summonsed before the court on Thursday this week to face an allegation that he assaulted Garda Niall Carolan at Ballymun garda station.
The offence, under Section 2 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, is alleged to have happened on February 28 last year.
He is further charged with obstructing Gda Carolan and using threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.
Those charges are under Sections 19 and 6 of the Public Order Act.
Thursday’s appearance was Mr Ó Snodaigh’s first court date in relation to the case and Judge Anthony Halpin adjourned it until a date next month, when the accused is expected to indicate whether he intends to plead guilty to the charges or contest them.
He is not required to be on bail as he was brought to court by way of summons rather than being formally charged.
A Section 2 assault charge, unlike the more serious
charge of assault causing harm, does not allege any injury was caused and the maximum sentence on conviction is six months’ imprisonment.
The offence of obstructing a peace officer also carries a maximum jail term of six months, while those found guilty of breaching the peace can be sentenced to up to three months.
The alleged offences, all of which can only be dealt with summarily in the non-jury district court, are also punishable by fines on conviction.
The accused’s father Aengus Ó Snodaigh has been a TD for Dublin South Central since 2002.