Drunk dad who struck ‘repeated blows’ to garda’s head jailed for nine months

Joseph Gleeson (39) injured the garda when he became abusive and violent in a public order disturbance outside a hostel in central Dublin.

Judge John Hughes sentenced him when he appeared in Dublin District Court.

Gleeson pleaded guilty to assaulting the garda.

The court heard gardaí were called to Marlborough Street on October 9, 2019.

The accused was intoxicated and verbally abusive to gardaí, telling them to “f**k off”. Gleeson lay down on the road and when he was brought to his feet, he resisted arrest.

He and the garda fell to the ground, where the accused struck the garda on the head.

“Do you see what you did to the garda?” Judge Hughes asked Gleeson, holding up the photo showing the wounds

A photograph showed the garda had at least four marks on his head in which the skin had been broken, as well as bruising, Judge Hughes said.

The accused had 82 previous convictions for offences including public order breaches and violent behaviour in a garda station.

He had worked as a plasterer but became homeless and a lot of his offences related to this, his barrister Lydia Daly said.

Gleeson had now got stable accommodation and was looking for employment.

Ms Daly asked the judge to consider getting a probation report before finalising the case.

“Do you see what you did to the garda?” Judge Hughes asked Gleeson, holding up the photo showing the wounds to the top of the officer’s head.

“I apologise, yeah,” the accused replied. “I apologise for my actions.”

“It’s clear from the photos the garda sustained serious injuries to his head,” the judge said, including a “significant laceration to his forehead”.

“The injuries are spread over the crown of his head and are consistent with repeated blows, not a single blow,” the judge said. It was serious to assault a garda in the course of his duties, he added.