Gardai injured during call to a house to investigate use of laser beam

Garda were called to a house where a laser beam had been shone into it and two members ended up suffering injuries. One was struck with his torch and a female colleague had a window jammed on her forearm, Trim District Court heard.

A 51-year-old IT worker Gillian Kennedy (53), Marshallstown, Kilmessan appeared charged with assaulting the two occupants of the house with the laser beam, as well as the two gardai. The female garda needed to go to hospital for treatment following what occurred on the night of 29th August last year, it was stated.

Judge Eirinn McKiernan was told there was a background dispute regarding planning and boundaries to the events involving the defendant and her neighbours.

Ms Kennedy denied the charges, but Judge McKiernan convicted her on all four counts. She then allowed the defendant’s barrister Niall Gallagher time to speak with the defendant.

After he did, Mr Gallagher said the defendant offered a full apology to each of the four victims, and said she was sorry for the injury caused to the gardai, and anxious to put the dispute behind her.

Judge McKiernan commented that the defendant’s behaviour couldn’t be tolerated on any level.

Mr Gallagher remarked “things went out of control on the day.”

Judge McKiernan adjourned the case to 13th November to obtain a report from the Probation Service.

Tracey King and her partner, Brian McEntee, recalled on the night in question about 8.30pm to 9pm they were at home making dinner when a beam came in through the window.

They saw the beam was coming from Miss Kennedy's house and hit both of him, and bounced off the walls. Miss King said she suffered blurred vision and was seeing black spots for a few days, and felt disorientated.

Mr McEntee also said he experienced black spots and his eyes stung.

The couple contacted the gardai and Detective Sergeant Brendan O’Toole and Gardai Munnelly and Stephen Crehan responded to the report.

The gardai gave evidence on their arrival that they could see a green laser pointed in the direction of the couple’s house, and appeared to be coming from the defendant’s house. When they approached the latter house the laser stopped.

Miss Kennedy denied all knowledge of the laser beam, and shouted about planning and a boundary fence. The defendant appeared under the influence of an intoxicant.

The Gardai went into the couple’s house, and shortly after the laser started to shine in.

Gardai Munnelly and Crehan went back to the defendant’s house and observed her shinning a laser from a window at the home of Miss King and Mr McEntee.

They asked her to hand over the laser. The defendant shone it into their eyes. Garda Munnelly said she put her arm out to stop this happening. The defendant grabbed the handle and her arm got caught as the defendant was closing the window.

Garda Crehan’s torch fell in through the window, and the defendant bent down and grabbed it and struck his arm.

Mr Gallagher showed video footage of the incident in which he submitted the defendant acted in self defence.

Ms Kennedy said she had been subjected to harassment, stalking and coercive behaviour for over eight years. She denied she shone the laser at her neighbour’s house. She said she had a pointer. She accepted she shone the pointer on her own property.

She denied she was aggressive when the Garda came to her house, and said she was not intoxicated but upset. She explained that the Garda tried to grab the pointer from inside her window. She was sorry the Garda was injured. She said that the torch fell on the floor inside the window and she picked it up and handed it to the garda.

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