Hyland calls for two-year minimum sentence for assaults on guards

FORMER Garda Cllr Christy Hyland has called for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for people who assault gardaí and other essential workers.

Cllr Hyland was commenting on recently passed laws which increased the maximum sentence for an assault on gardaí and emergency workers to a twelve-year custodial sentence.

The former garda said that the government were ‘wasting their time’ implementing maximum sentences due to the number of offenders who avoid jail.

As of October 27, 339 gardaí had been assaulted in the line of duty in 2023.

This was before the Dublin riots, when approximately 60 officers were injured after violence broke out hours after a stabbing incident in the city centre.

“My view, and the view of a lot of people I represent, ‘maximum sentence’ means you’ll end up inside the court and the guy is in for a serious assault, the frontline staff is at home, seriously injured for twelve months, and inside in the court they play they old game again: ‘He was suffering from drink and drugs’,” Cllr Hyland said at the recent meeting of the Mayo Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

“Maximum sentence? They are wasting their time. Bring in a minimum sentence and let the government do it if they are into law and order.”

Addressing the issue of assault on gardaí, Superintendent Gabriel Moran said that the number of assaults on gardaí in Mayo were ‘fairly low’ and ‘down compared to last year’.