Man on trial for ramming gates of Leinster House and Aras An Uachtaráin

By Eimear Dodd

A man who caused €60,000 worth of damage after ramming into gates at Leinster House, Aras An Uachtaráin and at Customs House last year was suffering from a paranoid delusion at the time, court has heard.

David O’Callaghan (41) of the Fairways, Woodbrook Glen, Bray, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to driving into a rear gate of Leinster House on August 2 last.

He further pleaded to two counts of criminal damage to gates at Phoenix Lodge at Aras An Uachtaráin and at Customs House, also on the same date.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that O’Callaghan has since been diagnosed with schizophrenia, for which he is receiving treatment.

Garda Niamh McCarthy told Oisin Clarke BL, prosecuting, that O’Callaghan drove a white Ford Transit van to Chesterfield Avenue, then did a sweeping u-turn in front of the entrance gates of Aras An Uachtaráin before reversing into them, breaching them before driving away.

The gates were inoperable for a period of time after this incident, with repairs costing €4,795.

O’Callaghan then drove to the Customs House, where he drove into gates, reversed out, then turned and reversed in for a second time.

The court heard the gates were not forced open the first time he hit them, but after he reversed into them.  Approximately €2,000 worth of damage was caused.

A few minutes later, a garda on duty at the rear of Leinster House heard a loud crash, then metal hitting the ground. He saw a vehicle reversing from the gates towards Merrion Street Upper.

A short time later, the garda heard two further crashes and then noticed the van stopped near the Department of the Taoiseach and that a set of gates at the Ministers’ Entrance were off the hinges.

O’Callaghan damaged three sets of gates at the rear of Leinster House in quick succession at around 2.30am.

The first gate was not fully breached after O’Callaghan drove straight into it due to the anti-ram protection in place.

He then reversed at speed into the gate known as the Minsters’ Entrance, knocking it from its hinges. One of the gates collided with an usher’s hut, smashing a window.

The court heard that O’Callaghan struck the perimeter gate at the Department of the Taoiseach with such force that the airbags deployed and the van was inoperable afterwards.

Over €52,000 damage was caused to the gates at Leinster House. In total, €60,000 worth of damage was caused, not including the damage to the vehicle in the forecourt, which O’Callaghan caused before he drove to the Phoenix Park.

O’Callaghan got out of the van after hitting the third gate at Leinster House and appeared to be drinking from something. It also looked like he had his phone and was also recording.

He told gardai at the scene that he had been driving the van and admitted crashing into the gates at Leinster House, Customs House and Aras an Uachtaráin.

He also told gardai that he had consumed alcohol and cocaine earlier that evening.

After his arrest, O’Callaghan told gardai he had reversed into a vehicle parked in the forecourt of Windsor Motors, Bray, before he drove to Aras An Uachtaráin. The court was told that extensive damage was caused to the vehicle.

O’Callaghan was arrested and was initially deemed unfit for interview. When he was later interviewed, he said he “just lost the head and felt highly psychotic”.

O’Callaghan told gardai that a person he believed to be his father was “spiking” and spraying poison in his food and room. He said he had been communicating with President Michael D Higgins about this but decided to crash into the gates to stop it himself.

He told gardai he only wanted to cause damage and didn’t want to get inside.

O’Callaghan has 11 previous convictions, including for drug offences.

Gda McCarthy told the court that O’Callaghan was cooperative with gardai and entered an early guilty plea.

She agreed with John Berry SC, defending, that emails were found on O’Callaghan’s phone, which indicated he had a paranoid delusion that his food had been spiked and he had been poisoned for three years.

It was further accepted that after O’Callaghan was charged, gardai objected to bail. He was later assessed by the psychological team at Cloverhill Prison, who arranged for him to be treated as an involuntary in-patient at a psychiatric facility in Dublin, where he received treatment and his diagnosis.

The garda agreed that O’Callaghan was later granted bail in October, having spent three months in custody on this.

Gda McCarthy also accepted that O’Callaghan’s father initially indicated that he was not welcome in the house due to his behaviour and that there had been an incident earlier in the day where paint was thrown over the house.

It was further accepted that O’Callaghan has agreed that information can be given to gardai if he stops his treatment or takes illicit substances, and gardai have been in recent contact with his father.

Mr Berry told the court his client had been emailing the President, adding that his client was not emailing the Taoiseach or the Minister for Housing in reply to a query from Judge Martin Nolan.

Defence counsel said his client has a long work history but has most recently been working as a kitchen porter.

He said it is unrealistic for his client to repay the cost of damages due to his low income. A number of reports were handed to the court along with a letter from O’Callaghan’s father.

Mr Berry asked the court to take into account his client’s psychiatric difficulties, which were aggravated by his voluntary abuse of illicit substances. Counsel outlined that the report indicates a treatment plan for his client with O’Callaghan’s father to contact the relevant services if his son relapses, and asked the court not to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

Judge Nolan adjourned the sentence until May 6 next for finalisation and directed the Probation Services to prepare conditions for O’Callaghan’s supervision.

The judge noted that O’Callaghan would require supervision and the Probation Services are “a state authority with statutory power” with the judge noting that the court didn’t want to “place these burdens” of supervision of O’Callaghan’s father or psychiatric services.