Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In Omeath, County Louth, on 11 October 2015, Garda Tony Golden was shot dead, Siobhán Phillips, a young mother of two, was grievously wounded and Crevan Mackin took his own life. Four days after the shooting, Deputy Adams received in his Leinster House office a copy of the statement of charges relating to the arrest in January of that year of Crevan Mackin. The following day he telephoned the office of the Minister for Justice and Equality. Five days later he wrote to both the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Taoiseach.

The document revealed Mackin was arrested on 16 January 2015 when he was accused of being a member of an illegal organisation and possessing explosives. It further stated An Garda Síochána believed he had access to six handguns, as well as explosives, ammunition and timing devices. According to his family and his solicitor, Crevan Mackin was taken at one point from a Garda station to a house in Edentubber, County Louth, where two of the six handguns were recovered. Later, Mackin was charged with membership of an illegal organisation but not with possession of the explosives or the weapons which he had admitted to being in his possession during the course of his interrogation and interviews. His family claim that Mackin told them later that he did a deal with his Garda interrogators that, in return for working for them, he would not be charged with firearms and explosives offences.

On 9 October 2015, two days prior to the death of Garda Tony Golden, Crevan Mackin, who had serious mental health issues and had access to several firearms, gave his former partner Siobhán Phillips, a prolonged and unmerciful beating. Such was the extent of her injuries that she required hospital treatment.

Following that assault Siobhán Phillips’s parents spoke to the duty officer at Dundalk Garda station on 10 October 2015 when they wished to make a complaint regarding the assault which had taken place the night before on their daughter. They were, however, refused an opportunity to make a statement at Dundalk Garda station.

They then proceeded to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry on the same evening. There the PSNI took photographs of the extent of the injuries. After leaving Daisy Hill Hospital to return home, they flagged down a Garda car in Omeath and, again, tried to make a complaint about the assault which had taken place. Again, they were told they were unable to do so.

Being unable to make a statement on two occasions, the family were living in fear that night. They barricaded themselves into their own home and turned off the lights because they had such a fear of Crevan Mackin, who had serious mental illness, had access to weapons and viciously beaten their daughter over a prolonged period.

Does the Minister of State think it is acceptable that victims of domestic violence are treated in this manner where they are refused the opportunity on two separate occasions to make a statement about an assault?

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