Mayo man jailed for smashing post office windows and breaking woman's wrist

A MAN who smashed three shop front windows of the west Mayo post office building as well with rocks as breaking the wrist of a Syrian woman was jailed for nearly five years.

Peter Collins (32) with an address at 1 St Mary's Villas, Westport appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to a number of offences including criminal damage, assault causing harm and allowing himself to be a passenger in a stolen car.

The incidents occurred on three separate dates between May 2024 September 2024 and the heard that Mr Collins was on bail when he committed two of the offences.

Judge Eoin Garavan was informed that Mr Collins caused €13,400 worth of damage to Newport Post Office building on September 19, 2024 when he threw rocks through three shop front windows.

He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a Syrian woman when he broke a bone in her wrist and destroyed her mobile phone outside his uncle's home in Westport on June 5, 2024.

On May 13, 2024 he was a passenger in a mini-bus taxi which was stolen in Westport and later crashed into a patrol car at a Garda checkpoint in the village of Cross.

Mr Collins has 48 previous convictions and the court was told he is currently four months into a 21 month prison sentence for an offence committed in Dublin.

Judge Garavan was informed that Mr Collins had a 'harrowing upbringing' with addiction issues from a young age and has spent ten years of his life in prison.

However, Judge Garavan said that Mr Collins is the author of his own misfortune and imposed a total sentence totalling five years and nine months imprisonment.

Criminal damage

Giving evidence in the three cases, Garda Padraig O'Connor explained that on September 19, 2024, gardaí in Westport were investigating the theft of a car from Maxol Filling Station on the Newport Road when they received a report of criminal damage at Newport Post Office.

When they attended the scene they met with the post mistress, Mary Kilroy O'Haire who informed gardaí that her daughter Shannon O'Haire was in the premises at the time and identified Peter Collins as the person who caused damage to the windows.

Shannon O'Haire informed gardaí that she heard a loud bang and noticed that the front window was smashed and when she went to the front door she observed another window being smashed. She recorded the incident on her mobile and captured Mr Collins smashing a third window with a rock. The court was informed that Mr Collins made his escape in a vehicle which was the subject of the unauthorised taking in Maxol Filling Station.

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In her victim impact statement, Mary Kilroy O'Haire said that as a result of the incident she had to close the post office which obstructed their service and 'left the community shaken'. She said the incident highlighted the urgent need for safety and security in public places and the impact left her feeling unsafe in her own space.

“The feeling of violation and fear which has resulted from this vandalism has affected my ability to serve my clients and has created a sense of mistrust in my surroundings,” she said.

Garda O'Connor also informed the court that on June 5, 2024, he received a report of assault and criminal damage from Ms Marar Salo. He explained that it was a sunny day and Ms Salo, a 49-year-old Syrian woman, claimed she was passing 1 St Mary's Villas when she was racially abused by a group who were drinking outside the house.

She started recording the incident on her mobile phone when Mr Collins grabbed her hand and damaged her phone.

Garda O'Connor said that Ms Salo identified Mr Collins due to his distinctive tattoos and he was arrested for the offence.

Ms Salo was taken to hospital where an x-ray showed she suffered an acute fracture to her wrist and her phone was completely destroyed.

Racial insults

In her victim impact statement which was read to the court, Ms Salo said that it was a huge shock to her to be subjected to abuse in broad daylight while on her way to collect her child from school. She said she was subjected to racial insults and obscene sexual gestures and physical abuse while people were watching.

The incident of allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle occurred on May 13, 2024 when Mr Collins was a passenger in a mini-bus taxi driven by another man who stole it from Church Lane in Westport.

Garda O'Connor said that at around 1.30pm, the owner of the taxi, Adrian McGing met Mr Collins standing at the corner of Church Lane and Peter Street who extended his hand to Mr McGing and shook his hand. He noticed he was wearing black gloves.

Shortly afterwards, Mr McGing observed his vehicle being driven away down Quay Road with Mr Collins getting into the passenger side.

A Garda check-point was set up in Cross Village and the mini-bus crashed into two cars including the patrol car. Mr Collins and the driver fled the vehicle but were later apprehended lying in bushes in a field where they were arrested.

Ms Christina Burke, counsel for Mr Collins said her client experienced a 'dystopian upbringing' which resulted in childhood trauma which left hom with addictions issues early in his life and led him to abusing alcohol and drugs.

Judge Eoin Garavan

In relation to the Newport incident, she said that there were issues between Mr Collins and the victim and at the time he was angry and intoxicated.

Ms Burke said her client denied directing any racial slurs at Ms Salo but accepted that he grabbed the phone off her as he did not want to be recorded. She said he was embarrassed by what he did and wished to apologise.

Mr Collins, she said, has been in prison for ten years of his life but since he was remanded in custody in September 2025, he has 'kept his head down'.

Ms Burke said he has a two-year-old son who means the world to him and the happiest moment of his week is when he visits him. She added that her son also asks when daddy is coming home.

She commented that a psychological report finds that Mr Collins' mental health is very compromised which drives his criminal behaviour. The report she says recommends the need of an extended period of residential treatment and engagement with the addiction services.

Ms Burke said her client is beginning to face his demons and asked Judge Garavan to structure a sentence to give her client some hope for the future.

Sentence

Judge Garavan said he had sympathy for Mr Collins given his upbringing which left him as a confused and angry individual. He said the psychological and governors report gave an insight into a charming and bright person when sober but unfortunately with drink and drugs on board his personality changes.

However, he said that Mr Collins is the author of his own misfortune and noted he has 48 previous convictions and spent two thirds of his adult life in prison. He described him as a nuisance and his petulant and impulsive nature resulted in him getting in trouble but he was responsible for his choices in life.

Patrick Reynolds, counsel for the State informed Judge Garavan that because Mr Collins was on bail when he committed the offences in June and September, 2024, all the sentences imposed must be consecutive.

Judge Garavan imposed a total prison sentence of five years and nine months but suspended the final year of the sentence for a two year period on the condition he comes under the supervision of the Probation Service for one year and complies with their directions and avails of treatment services while in prison. He was also disqualified from driving for six years.

The court also heard that a district court appeal which resulted in a 17 month prison sentence had been withdrawn and Judge Garavan said that his 17 months must be served on top of the circuit court sentence.

Judge Garavan commented that while the sentence will be a lengthy one for Mr Collins, he wished him luck and told him he will still be a young man at the completion of the sentence.