Garda left with permanent injury in clash with youths

A GARDA was left with a permanent wrist injury after he and a colleague came upon a group of young men from Waterford who had taken over a bus parked in Clonroche village.

Well-known member of the traffic corps Niall Brophy described how he incurred a wrist fracture when his thumb was bent back as he grappled with 20-yearold John Smith from 50 Ardmore Park in Waterford.

The confrontation took place on the night of October 9, 2016 when Brophy and Garda Dene O’Gorman were called to Clonroche shortly after 10 p.m.

They discovered the 52 seater school bus belonging to Philip O’Leary Coach Tours Limited stationary on the hard shoulder of the N30.

Five males were inside the vehicle, apparently interfering with the driver’s instruments and the door had been smashed.

The intruders included Daniel Byrne of 11 Larchville; Dylan English of 99 Priory Lawn and Michael Flynn of 12 Barrett Court – all addresses in Waterford.

The pair of gardaí found themselves under fire as bottles were thrown.

Byrne, English and Flynn fled from the bus and headed towards the centre of Clonroche but Smith was left behind.

Garda Brophy stood in his way and pepper-sprayed the defendant who responded by jumping out through the doorway.

The garda was only able to handcuff one wrist of the suspect as the two found themselves struggling on the ground.

Smith grabbed the law man’s thumb and bent it back until Brophy experienced a shooting pain up his arm.

Dene O’Gorman and their colleague John Kennedy came to his rescue and completed the arrest.

However, his sore wrist was X-rayed later that morning at Wexford General Hospital and found to be fractured.

He underwent surgery that evening in Waterford Regional.

He was off duty for 14 weeks and it was reckoned by the medics that he had lost 15 per cent of his grip in the affected hand for good.

All four accused admitted trespassing in the bus.

When the case was considered at the District Court sitting in Gorey, Smith (20) was handed a four month prison term for assaulting Niall Brophy.

Byrne (18) - already serving a sentence in connection for another offence - had a one month sentence recorded.

A probation report was ordered on English (20) with a view to requiring him to carry out 60 hours community service in lieu of one month in jail.

Michael Flynn (19), the only one of the four with no previous convictions, was told to pay €50 compensation to the coach owner and make a €200 donation to Vincent de Paul.

A charge against a fifth defendant was withdrawn before the start of the hearing.

Judge John Cheatle was told that, if the charges had been contested, then it might have been necessary to hear testimony from 17 witnesses.

Only one possible explanation offered for what occurred in Clonroche on the night in question came from the barrister representing Michael Flynn who mentioned that his client had been drinking.

The court was informed that Brophy and his assailant had shaken hands before the hearing.