Man who made ‘vile’ threats and exposed himself to female garda jailed for three years

Keith McDonnell (34) of Back Lane, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to two counts of making threats to kill or cause serious harm to two members of An Garda Síochána on May 12, 2020.

Imposing sentence on Tuesday, Judge Orla Crowe said McDonnell’s comments to the female garda were “misogynistic and vile” and said he made persistent threats towards her and her colleagues as well as exposing himself.

She accepted that he had a difficult background and has struggled with addiction, noting a letter from McDonnell’s partner outlined the impact his addiction has had on their family.

Judge Crowe accepted evidence that McDonnell became homeless at eight years of age and was smoking, drinking and taking drugs at a very young age.

“He disrupted a police operation who were simply upholding the law. His behaviour was appalling,” Judge Crowe said before she added that the threats were “real, credible and nasty”.

The judge said the case warranted a headline sentence of four years before she imposed a sentence of three years, taking into account the mitigating factors including McDonnell’s plea of guilty.

Detective Sergeant Tim O'Sullivan told Eoghan Cole SC, prosecuting, that gardai were carrying out a search at La Touche Drive in Bluebell in the early hours of the day in question, when McDonnell became verbally aggressive towards them.

The court heard McDonnell was staying nearby, but was not connected to the property being searched.

Gardai observed McDonnell appeared to be intoxicated and a male officer went to speak with him.

McDonnell picked up a sweeping brush, then charged towards the officer, threatening to slap him. The garda took out his pepper spray and baton and McDonnell retreated, but continued to be abusive.

He then grabbed a brick and threatened to smash the garda's skull. Other members of An Garda Síochána came to help and McDonnell went back into the house.

The homeowner told gardai that McDonnell was not welcome and wanted him to be removed from the property.

Gardai found McDonnell hiding under a bed upstairs. A number of gardai physically removed him from the house, however he resisted and kicked out.

McDonnell was arrested and placed in a garda van to be taken to the station.

During the 10-minute journey, McDonnell was sitting within a clear Perspex box and was accompanied by a female garda.

McDonnell continued to be abusive, calling the female garda a “tramp”. He told her he would “make sure” she “never has a family of her own” and said he would “find every member” of her family and where she was living.

McDonnell managed to pull his tracksuit down, then exposed himself to the garda before banging his penis against the Perspex. He told the garda to “suck it”.

Oisin Clarke BL, defending, said his client was extremely intoxicated and said it was “a completely unnecessary offence”.

He described the offence “as squalid, offensive and misogynistic,” before he added that it was “distasteful and very unpleasant for the gardaí involved”.

He said from the age of eight, McDonnell was “left to his own devices” and was left living on the streets and was associating himself with people much older than he was. He said McDonnell began smoking cannabis and drinking at the age of eight years old and was taking cocaine at 15.

Mr Clarke said his client’s “entire lifestyle has been blighted by drug abuse, homelessness and antisocial behaviour”, before he outlined that one of his twin sons “has a chronic condition” and he and his partner have previously lost a child.