Mayo man jailed for 'appalling' assault on garda officer

A Swinford man with an extensive offending history has been jailed for two assaults on members of An Garda Síochána, including spitting into a garda’s mouth while being conveyed in custody.

Paul Howley (39), of 22 Brabazon Heights, Swinford, appeared before Castlebar District Court for final sentencing before Judge Sandra Murphy.

The court heard that the offences occurred on August 26, 2025, while Howley was being arrested and conveyed to court in relation to a separate public order matter.

Sergeant Conor McShane outlined that while in custody, Howley became violent and kicked Garda John Garrett in the hand, causing injury and forcing the garda off duty for a week.

The court further heard that as Howley was later being transferred from the courthouse to Castlebar Garda Station, he spat at Sergeant Conor Drury, striking him in the mouth.

Sergeant Drury was taken to Mayo University Hospital for screening for HIV and other blood-borne viruses and subsequently received a clear result, however, he still has to attend a final appointment in the new year.

A victim impact statement prepared by Sergeant Drury was read to the court. In it, he described feeling degraded and humiliated by the assault, stating that it involved a full mouthful of saliva that had congealed in Mr. Howley’s mouth.

He said the incident had impacted his confidence and made him more cautious in carrying out his duties, noting that it occurred in a public place and was captured on CCTV and witnessed by a taxi driver, whom he thanked for intervening and restoring his faith in the community.

Sergeant Drury said he was off work for a month while undergoing medical tests and described the experience as deeply distressing.

Howley pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, following directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions and a hearing of facts on December 3, 2025.

He had been remanded in custody in connection with this matter and other Circuit Court proceedings.

Judge Murphy described the assaults, particularly the spitting incident, as “appalling” and among the most serious cases to come before the District Court.

She said interference with gardaí carrying out their duties struck at the heart of the administration of justice and noted that the harm extended beyond physical injury to the psychological impact on the injured gardaí and their colleagues.

The court was told that Howley has approximately 40 previous convictions, including one for threatening to kill or cause serious harm, and that the offences were committed while he was on bail.

Taking aggravating factors into account, and noting the absence of a written or in-court apology, Judge Murphy imposed a five-month prison sentence for the assault on Sergeant Drury, suspending one month on strict probation conditions.

These included engagement with addiction counselling and community mental health services.

Judge Murphy refused to backdate the sentence, stating that it was inappropriate given the time spent on bail and the circumstances surrounding Howley’s consent bail arrangement for treatment.

A further three-month prison sentence was imposed for the assault on Garda Garrett, to run consecutively, in accordance with legislation governing offences committed while on bail.

* Published under the Courts Reporting Scheme.