A man has pleaded guilty to ramming the gates of theDáil , Áras an Uachtaráin, and Customs House, as well as damaging a vehicle parked outside an auto dealership in Bray, Co. Wicklow
David O’Callaghan (41) of the Fairways, Woodbrook Glen, Bray, Co Wicklow appeared before the Circuit Criminal Court this afternoon where evidence was given of the incidents which took place in the early hours of the 2nd of August 2024.
Gda Niamh McCarthy of Pearse Street Garda Station told the court that when O’Callaghan was interviewed by Gardaí, he made full admission, and even told them about how he had damaged a vehicle in Bray before they were made aware of the incident.
Áras an Uachtaráin
A Garda stationed outside the Áras said she had seen a van approach the main gate and made a “sweeping turn” before it reversed “at speed” into the gate.
The van “fully breached the metal gates” before driving away at speed, the Gda reported.
Both gates had to be removed, repaired, and re-hung at a cost of €4,795 euro.
The Customs House
A Gda McAvoy who was on duty at the Customs House described how the front gates of the Dublin landmark were “significantly damaged” after being “rammed” by a white Ford Transit van shortly after the incident in the Phoenix Park.
A Gda Maguire of Store Street Garda Station was assigned to investigate the incident and obtained CCTV which showed the Ford Transit drive head on into the gates before making a U-turn and reversing into them at 2.27am.
The gates were forced open and approximately €2,000 worth of damage done in the process.
Leinster House
Only minutes later, a Gda at the security box at Leinster House said he heard a “loud crash” followed by “metal hitting the ground” before observing a white van driving away.
The van headed towards Merrion St Upper to the Dept. of the Taoiseach and rammed the North Gate, or Minister’s entrance, forcing the gate off its hinges.
A security guard on duty in respect of a number of properties in Dublin 2 saw what happened and said that he had first thought the van was a delivery vehicle but that it made a “sudden right turn” and drove into the gates.
The court heard that an anti ram protection ramp was in place in this location and that the van reversed at speed into the Minister’s entrance causing one of the gates to collide with the usher’s hut and smashing a window.
The van was driven at such force head on at the gates that airbags were deployed and it became inoperable.
The court heard that the combined cost of the damage done to all three gates was €52,653.
Including the damage done to the vehicle at the Windsor auto dealership in Bray, the total is approximately €60,000 in all, Garda McCarthy said.
After the airbags were deployed, O’Callaghan was seen alighting from the van drinking something before making a call on a mobile phone.
Members of An Garda Síochána who had rushed to the scene spoke to him and he indicated that he had done the damage to the gates, including at the Customs House and the Áras.
He was arrested and taken to Pearse Street Garda Stn. at 3:05 am but was deemed unfit to be interviewed due to intoxication.
Later on during Interviews he said that he had “just lost the head” and that he felt “highly psychotic”.
He said a person who he believed was his father was trying to poison him, “I’ve been warning the president, he said.
O’Callaghan claimed he had been “talking to Michael D” in order to get help about the alleged poisoning but that he had “decided to stop it myself”.
When Gardaí asked who he thought was poisoning him he said it was a man called “Mr. Doyle” and that this person “works in a prison to poison prisoners to wake them up”.
“He lives in my ma and da’s bedroom, in their bed,” he said.
Asked why he had rammed the gates he said he just wanted to commit “criminal damage”.
When Gardaí asked him if he knew what he had done he said, “I understand. I meant to do it” and “It was either that or something worse.”
He was taken to St. John of God’s hospital.
The court heard that O’Callaghan has 11 previous convictions but that none of these is relevant to the current charges, although one is for a “serious drug offence” his defending counsel, Mr. Spencer noted.
He caused “no difficulty” when in Garda custody, was cooperative from the start, and entered an early plea.
The maximum sentence for the offending is 10 years, the court heard.
Mr. Spencer told the court that his client was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a consultant psychiatrist at St. John of God’s.
He said that his client had a belief that he was being poisoned and spiked for three years and that he had been “getting on to other people to stop it” but that “nothing had happened”.
He was first sent to Cloverhill prison but was transferred to t St. John of God’s after being granted what was “in effect” therapeutic bail as an “involuntary patient” under the civil mental health act.
His elderly father, who was in court, has promised to notify Gardaí if O’Callaghan stops following his treatment plan or if he resumes use of illegal drugs.
Judge Martin Nolan ordered the Probation Service to make a supervision plan for his ongoing treatment after the court heard that he is currently receiving medication by monthly injection.
Judge Nolan said he was doing this in order not to put a “burden” on the accused’s father or the staff at St. John of God’s.
The case will be back before the courts after the Easter break.