'Drunk dad fought gardai with baby under his coat'

http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/drunk-dad-fought-gardai-with-baby-under-his-coat-3061165.html

By Andrew Phelan



Monday March 26 2012






A DRUNKEN dad stuffed his six-month old baby son under his
jacket and fled from gardai over garden walls after refusing to return
the boy to the child's mother, it is alleged.
THE accused nearly dropped the baby several times as he attacked a garda with
a tricycle and tried to bite officers during the stand-off in north Dublin,
a court was told.


It is alleged that he challenged the gardai to "come and take me to the
ground with the baby".


The defendant, who is in his early 20s, appeared in Blanchardstown District
Court on charges of child neglect, assaulting a garda and public order
breaches. He has not entered a plea in the case yet and had it adjourned to
a date next month.


The young man is charged with ill-treating his child in a manner likely to
cause unnecessary suffering, under the Children's Act.


He is also charged with using a tricycle as a weapon, assaulting Garda David
Fahy, public intoxication and breach of the peace.


Giving an outline of the prosecution's case, Sgt Mary Doherty told the court
the incident happened on a date in September last year.


Gardai were called to a reported domestic incident and allegedly saw the
accused running toward them with the baby zipped into his hooded jacket.


He shouted abuse at the patrol car, telling gardai to f**k off, while making
gestures with his hands and waving them in an aggressive manner, it was
alleged.



Slipped


The prosecution would maintain the baby slipped from the jacket and the
accused moved to catch him so he wouldn't fall.


The accused ran and the gardai chased him because they were in fear for the
child's safety. The accused continually told them to "f**k off"
and kept saying he would not give the baby back, the court was told.


Gardai believed the accused may have been under the influence of an intoxicant
and the baby was crying throughout, while the mother asked the accused to
give the child back.


The defendant tried to hit out at the gardai with both hands and the baby
again began to fall, it was alleged. The garda went to catch the baby but
the accused again managed to catch the child.


He then ran off again, roaring: "Come and take me to the ground with the
baby -- come on, fight me."


He allegedly charged at gardai and attempted to bite them, was again asked to
return the baby but refused to calm down.


When gardai tried to stop him leaving, it was alleged he picked up a tricycle
and threw it at Garda Fahy, hitting him with it. The defendant nearly fell
over in the process.


He then started jumping over garden walls, nearly dropping the baby.


He was not holding the child with his hands at any stage, Sgt Doherty alleged.
Eventually, Garda Fahy managed to get the child to safety and the defendant
was arrested.


Judge Anthony Halpin said he was accepting jurisdiction to deal with the case
at District Court level, but added that it was at the "upper end".


Judge Halpin remanded the defendant on continuing bail to appear in court
again on May 3.


aphelan@herald.ie

- Andrew Phelan