Man who drove into Limerick garda jailed for four and half years

David Raleigh

A man who ploughed a car into a detective garda and reversed the car at him as he lay injured on the ground, has been jailed for four and a half years with the final six months suspended.

After ploughing into Det Gda Shane O’Neill, the defendant, Thomas Connors, reversed his car at the injured garda, who had to crawl out of the way of the speeding Audi TT as it rammed his garda patrol car.

Connors (40), with an address at Ballyart, Brittas, Co Limerick, and previously of Brindle Hall, Charleville, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to one count of endangerment and one count of failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic collision at Bru Na Grudain, Castletroy, Co Limerick, on February 10th, 2025.

The prosecution entered a nolle prosesqui (withdrawal) in respect of charges against Connors, including that he failed to keep his car at the scene, failed to report the collision, caused criminal damage to the garda patrol car, and engaged in dangerous driving.

The court heard that Garda O’Neill, who was on mobile patrol duty, received an alert about a silver Audi TT car suspected of being involved in a criminal offence in the Patrickswell area.

When Garda O’Neill came across the car he attempted to stop it after he got a clear view of Connors driving the car and another man wearing a balaclava in the front passenger seat.

Garda O’Neill got out of his patrol car and approached the vehicle, identifying himself as a member of An Garda Síochána.

Connors pleaded guilty to “intentionally or recklessly driving at and ramming an official garda patrol vehicle, causing Det Garda Shane O’Neill to fall to the ground and be injured and then driving at Det Garda O’Neill while he was lying on the ground and thereby creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another”.

The court heard Det Garda O’Neill was flung up to three metres away from where he was struck by Connors' car.

Garda O’Neill was forced “to crawl out of the way” of the Audi TT as Connors reversed it, ramming Garda O’Neill’s patrol car, knowing he was lying injured on the ground.

Connors and his accomplice sped off in the Audi, travelling on the wrong side of the road and the wrong way around a roundabout.

Garda O’Neill was taken by ambulance to the hospital and treated for injuries to his right shoulder and his back. The court heard he has been “unable” to return to duty due to his injuries.

Sentencing Judge, Colin Daly, said: “Thomas Connors drove purposely at Garda O’Neill, creating a risk of significant injury or death.”

“He reversed and rammed the garda car, he knew Garda O’Neill was behind him and continued to reverse,” said the judge.

“He drove in the most dangerous of manners, and at great risk to children and families who were living in the (Castletroy) area.”

Connors had previous convictions, including 29 convictions for road traffic offences, robbery and burglary.

Judge Daly said that anyone who “weaponises cars or who use their vehicles as weapons” should face a custodial sentence, and he said he was satisfied that a headline sentence of six years was appropriate in Connors’ case.

In mitigation, the judge said he took into consideration Connors’ guilty plea, his “remorse”, a “letter of apology”, and that Connors was attending educational courses in prison in an effort to “rehabilitate himself” while awaiting sentence.

Reducing the sentence to four and half years with the final six months suspended, the judge directed that Connors engage with a probation service supervision order for 12 months after his sentence ends.