Man who pulled knife on gardaí refused bail

Castlebar man tells court he ‘got a tan’ and ‘smoked a joint’ while relaxing in jail

A MAN described as having an ‘appalling record’ in the courts has been remanded in custody after pulling a ten-inch kitchen knife on gardaí at his home having first inviting them inside.
Owen McDonagh (30) of 27 Castlegrove, Castlebar, appeared before last Wednesday’s sitting of Castlebar District Court charged under Section 9 of the Public Order Act. He has over 70 previous convictions, 15 of which were committed while he was on bail.
The court heard that on May 3 last, gardaí responded to a call about domestic abuse at 27 Castlegrove, Castlebar. When they knocked on the door of the house, a ‘highly intoxicated’ Owen McDonagh answered.
He then ‘showed his fists’ and invited the gardaí to come in, before bending down to pick up a ‘ten-inch kitchen knife’ and threatening the gardaí.
Defending solicitor Gary Mulchrone told the court that his client had been suffering from mental health issues since 2015 and that he lived at that address with his partner and four kids.
Mr McDonagh, he said, was willing to move into his father’s house if bail were granted.
The court heard that Mr McDonagh had only just been released from jail after being sentenced to three months’ imprisonment back in February by Judge Mary Devins for being highly intoxicated and abusive.
Upon taking the stand for cross examination, Mr McDonagh was asked by Judge Devins how he had gotten a tan if he had been in jail for the last while, to which he replied: ‘I got it in the yard’.
Mr McDonagh told the court that his kids were ‘growing up in front of my eyes while I’m in prison’, and he made a promise to the court that he’d ‘stay away from stuff that is getting me into bother’.
Garda Inspector Gary Walsh put it to Mr McDonagh that he has an ‘appalling record’ and that this was an ‘ongoing cycle’.
He told Mr McDonagh that he had to get his addiction sorted, to which he replied: ‘I am not getting proper treatment in prison for my head’ and ‘I smoked a joint in jail and it relaxed me’.
Judge Devins responded by saying how ‘getting a tan’ and ‘smoking a joint’ in prison ‘doesn’t sound too bad’.
She then refused bail and remanded Mr McDonagh in custody.