Bare-chested man was so irate following late night brawl gardaí ‘could hear his teeth grinding in anger', court hears
Gardaí were forced to arrest a bare-chested man who was found in such a 'highly aggressive' state following a late night brawl that officers could hear his teeth grinding in anger, a court has heard.
Twenty-eight-year-old Darren Cunningham, of Glasdrummond Road, Crossmaglen, Armagh was detained as gardaí responded to reports that a fight had broken out moments earlier along Castleblayney's Main Street on July 14, 2019.
Follow Independent Monaghan on Facebook
Sgt Lisa McEntee said when officers arrived at the scene they found the 'shirtless' Cunningham with cuts to his face.
Judge Gerry Jones was told when questions were asked of the accused as to how he sustained his injuries, Cunningham declined to provide any information, instead stating that he had fallen just prior to gardaí's arrival on the scene.
Sgt McEntee said in the ensuing minutes that followed, Cunningham's manner took a more militant turn in an episode the court heard was fuelled by the Armagh man's alcohol intake.
'He declined to provide any information and was highly intoxicated and aggressive,' Sgt McEntee continued.
The court was told Cunningham's frustration intensified to such an extent that 'gardaí could hear the grinding of his teeth' in a show of unbridled anger which coincided with his arrest.
Less than three months later, Judge Jones was told of how Cunningham was arrested for a second time where he was found once again in a 'highly intoxicated' state.
Unlike the earlier episode, however, Cunningham on this occasion provided gardaí with a false name which ultimately led to his arrest and subsequent prosecution.
Upon hearing the State's evidence, to which Cunningham pleaded guilty to, Judge Jones ordered him to spend a period of time in the holding cells of Monaghan Courthouse.
When the case was recalled, defence solicitor Niall Fox said while the charges were of 'some vintage' dating back six years, there were certain mitigating factors at play.
'On both occasions, he was very heavily intoxicated,' he said.
'It's not an excuse but he had been the subject of a very serious assault and didn't want to explain that to the guards.'
Mr Fox contended his client was very much contrite over his actions on both occasions, adding how the hour and half spent in custody had provided a 'very salutary' lesson for him.
And, in a bid to convey that sense of remorse to the court, Mr Fox said Cunningham would not be opposing the court to hold onto €750 in bail monies which had been previously handed in.
Judge Jones subsequently accepted that offer by allocating the three figure sum to the court poor box before striking out the case.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
15 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Jules Thomas speaks out amid DNA breakthrough in Sophie case
Jules Thomas – former partner of the late Ian Bailey – said yesterday she is praying cold-case investigators collecting DNA in a bid to solve the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier make a breakthrough so 'the truth will come out' and clear her ex's name. A review into the brutal killing of the 39-year-old French filmmaker could now be completed within weeks due to enhanced forensic DNA collection techniques. Ms Thomas firmly believes her former lover 'did not commit this appalling murder but he was not believed'. She said: 'That wrecked his life and hastened his death.' Selling art from her stall at the weekly Sunday market in Schull, West Cork, Ms Thomas said she is 'praying for closure. Jules Thomas and Ian Bailey. Pic: Collins Courts 'People still give me lingering looks of suspicion, even some of those I've known for decades locally and visitors who recognise me looking in a ghastly, lingering way sometimes. 'This shadow of suspicion has never really lifted. Some around here remain convinced Ian murdered Sophie, and I was also involved, covering up for him. Now the truth will come out hopefully, and there can be closure at last.' Ms Thomas, who split from Mr Bailey after three decades, added: 'Good luck to those solving the case with that new DNA analysis. It would still be wonderful to have his name cleared posthumously. It would also bring some peace to Sophie's poor family, who were duped and strung along for years in the belief that Ian Bailey was the murderer.' Cork solicitor Frank Buttimer, who represented Mr Bailey for more than 20 years, including during two court cases taken against the State and various newspapers, said his client had voluntarily given his DNA to gardaí. Ian Bailey had voluntarily given his DNA to gardaí. Pic: Collins 'Mr Bailey is deceased and is not around to clear his name,' he said on RTÉ Radio. Asked whether it should be made public if Mr Bailey's DNA is found on items, Mr Buttimer added: 'I am sure in certain quarters there would be a rush to provide such information; there is an ongoing belief in a certain section of the police of a connection between Mr Bailey and the crime which he has denied throughout his life. 'There has always been a rush to put Mr Bailey's name out there in certain quarters as being the one connected with the offence. In Irish law, there's the presumption of innocence; he was presumed innocent by the State of Ireland, he was never prosecuted here, but a completely spurious case was taken against him in France, where he was found guilty, but that was a predictable event.' He said he hoped that if his late client was proven innocent, the French authorities would reflect on the fact he had been 'hounded and pursued for this dreadful crime until the time of his death'. Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Pic: REX/Shutterstock He said this had 'destroyed his life', adding: 'Every avenue should be pursued to get to the truth of this appalling crime. It's a stain on us and a stain on our police and on our system, and if anything can be done even at this late stage I would welcome it.' Former UK forensics detective Bridget Chappuis, who spent decades investigating murders, has had ongoing contact with the family of Ms du Plantier, and also with Ms Thomas and Mr Buttimer. She spoke with Mr Bailey regularly in the last months of his life, and he gave her boxes of documents. The highly respected expert has always believed Mr Bailey was innocent, having looked into all aspects of the case. 'Who's to say there was no cross-contamination of the exhibits, how they were stored and having surety there was no interference with it over the years,' she told 'The Guards can say, 'OK, we have his DNA on the stone, that's it, case closed', but that's worrying, the right of reply to challenge evidence is gone because Ian Bailey is dead.' Their comments come as US forensic experts continue the M-Vac method of recovering DNA material by carrying out tests on the concrete block used to bludgeon the victim to death, which had blood on it. A rock found at the murder scene is being tested, together with the victim's dressing gown, vest, leggings and boots, recovered from the spot where one of Ireland's most notorious murders took place. Ms Toscan du Plantier was found bludgeoned to death in the lane of her isolated West Cork home on the morning of December 23, 1996. Although ten suspects were initially looked at, English journalist Mr Bailey became the prime suspect. However, he was never charged, and, after suffering several heart attacks, died in January last year, protesting his innocence. The M-Vac method of DNA testing has helped solve decades-old murders in the US, leading to the prosecution of perpetrators.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Espionage and ‘destructive ideologies' are among main threats to State, says Garda report
The Garda 's national security service has warned about the 'ever present' threat from foreign spies intent on stealing sensitive political information and intellectual property. In a newly published document, the Security and Intelligence branch also raises concerns about the threat of 'destructive ideologies' and the rise of extremism in Ireland. The force 's Annual Security Services Plan offers a rare, though vaguely worded, insight into what it believes are the main threats facing the State. It comes amid efforts by the Government to revamp the State's clandestine security services in the face of increasing foreign threats. Almost uniquely among western countries, the Garda is responsible for both day-to-day policing and State security. READ MORE It says the Garda's secretive Security and Intelligence Service is responsible for State security. One of its key roles is liaising with overseas secret services, while the role of its operational arm, the Special Detective Unit, is 'identifying, investigating and reporting for prosecution' threats to State security, it says. The report says the service will also be required to carry out threat assessments and security operations relating to Ireland's presidency of the EU next year. According to the report, the main threats to the State are 'terrorism, violent political extremism, espionage, sabotage and subversion'. Ireland is a 'potential target of hostile state actors' that are intent on stealing information on 'intellectual property, as well as policies and political information of the State'. The report does not specify which countries are a threat, although senior security officials have previously raised concerns about espionage activities by Russia, China and Iran. In particular, China is believed to regularly attempt to gain access to the intellectual property of technology and pharmaceutical companies here. A Russian expatriates network accused of acting as an extension of the Kremlin's security services has also been active in Ireland , while there is evidence China has been using a Dublin-based overseas Chinese service centre to coerce its citizens living here . In recent years, the Government has taken steps to reduce the number of Russian intelligence agents in Ireland. It has introduced national security legislation preventing Russia from extending its embassy and has refused to issue visas to multiple incoming diplomats. In a sign of the evolving security landscape, the threat from 'subversion', typically a reference to violent Republican groups, is only alluded to once in the document. However, Ireland is 'not immune' from the threats of terrorism and extremism seen in other EU countries, including 'lone wolf' extremists, the report warns. A stabbing attack on a Defence Forces chaplain in Galway last year by a radicalised teenager has been officially designated as Ireland's first Islamic terrorist attack. Another stabbing attack on a Garda, which is currently before the courts, is also been investigated as potential Islamic-inspired terrorism, while there are also concerns about possible attacks from far-right extremists, sources say. 'The proliferation of destructive ideologies poses a direct threat to the values of democratic society, threatens lives and endangers the freedoms and norms that we have become accustomed to in a secure society,' the report warns. 'Interconnected groupings/individuals displaying extremist and terrorist ideologies present a potential threat to the security of the State and our citizens.' The Government has committed to a ring-fenced budget that will allow the security service to expand recruitment of civilians with specialist skills, it says. In a forward to the plan, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris , who retires at the end of August, says Garda capabilities in the areas of national security, counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism 'will continue to be enhanced and partnerships between national and international partners will be developed, maintained and strengthened'.
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Prison chief at notorious jail allowed to resign with compensation package after links to organised crime exposed
A new report has revealed the full extent of the prison chief's organised crime dealings JAIL CHIEF SCANDAL Prison chief at notorious jail allowed to resign with compensation package after links to organised crime exposed BOBBY Cunningham had always promised himself and his partner that he would get the back garden sorted out before their baby arrived. The head of security at HMP Wandsworth in London, he was responsible for law, order and fighting corruption at Britain's most notorious prison — yet finances were tight. 4 Bobby Cunningham, 43, has resigned from the force 4 Cunningham's father, Kevin, is also a former police officer Advertisement In June 2022, Cunningham, 43, the son of a former prison officer, called a landscaping company to his home on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. Yet Payless Artificial Grass Limited was no ordinary firm - it was run by organised crime. An official at one of Britain's top prisons had been compromised. The firm's director was Ben Sullivan, a gangster from Sheppey. In December last year, he was arrested at Stansted en route to Dubai. Advertisement Police said he pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine. Cunningham also met a business associate of Sullivan - who cannot be named for legal reasons - and discussed his 'uncle' Alexander McGuiffie who was a prisoner at Wandsworth. McGuffie was described in confidential Ministry of Justice documents as a 'known corruptor' with 'serious influence, intent and capability' who was said to have offered prison officers cash. At the time, McGuiffie was awaiting trial for 11 charges including supplying cocaine, ordering ammunition for a firearm, stealing investigative documents from an undercover police officer's vehicle and perverting the course of justice. Advertisement Security chief Cunningham was responsible for countering corruption - yet never disclosed the relationship with the gangsters to his superiors. He was later allowed to leave the prison service on medical grounds after an investigation into his conduct. TV cop who starred on Channel 5 show banned from force after inappropriate texts including 20 sexist & racist pics A Sunday Times report has now revealed the full extent of Cunningham's dealings with organised crime - and the prison system's failure to hold him to account. The saga began in June 2022 when Payless was hired to put down artificial grass at Cunnigham's home. His partner later posted pictures of a garden with a patio on social media, thanking the firm. It was around this time that Payless director Sullivan, and his associate, who we are calling X, were under police investigation by cops looking at evidence they were involved in importing and selling cocaine. Advertisement When Cunningham met X at his property around the time the work was ongoing, they discussed Wandsworth inmate McGuffie, 49, who was awaiting trial for offences including stealing an undercover officer's BMW. An alleged organised criminal, he had previously been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in smuggling £120,000 of cocaine into the country, only to have his conviction quashed after four years due to a prosecutorial failing. The Crown had omitted to mention that some of the detectives who investigated him had been criticised over their recording of evidence in a separate case. Although he was released, the National Crime Agency stayed on his tail. In 2022 he was extradited from Spain to Wandsworth pending trial. Advertisement The authorities deemed him so dangerous they repeatedly raided his cell during his time in custody and at one point moved him to HMP Belmarsh, a higher security prison. Yet shortly before his trial, the prosecution fell apart again due to legal problems the Crown would not divulge when contacted for comment. Earlier this year, he was set free again and went back to Spain where in the eyes of the law remains an innocent man. 4 Ben Sullivan, a gangster from Sheppey, pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine 4 Cunningham pictured with Rory Stewart, former Minister of State for Prisons Advertisement The Sunday Times found that by the spring of 2023, the counter-corruption unit of HM Prisons Service had received intelligence from forces including the National Crime Agency and Kent Police about Cunningham. The unit discovered details of his dealings with alleged criminals and found he had not disclosed two investigations in which he was involved — and which 'could have been exploited by organised criminals'. It also learnt he had been buying offensive weapons which, if prosecuted, could have seen him jailed for four years. The early transferring of inmates to open prisons More troubling, prison officers had filed a number of 'corruption prevention intelligence reports' — a formal whistleblowing document — about the transfer of inmates to lower-security jails under Cunningham's watch. One of those given a surprisingly early transfer to an open prison by Cunningham was Michael Nascimento. Advertisement By the summer of 2023, Nascimento, 48, had spent half a decade in prison after the former financial professional was jailed for 13 years for defrauding 170 people of millions of pounds. Among them a woman who was 'bullied' into parting with her life savings while her mother battled cancer. He ran a firm which cold-called elderly, vulnerable victims promising them massive returns on property in Madeira, but used the cash to fund a lavish lifestyle — including Arsenal tickets and private school fees. A judge had handed him four more years in jail in January 2023 due to his refusal to liquidate overseas assets, denying his victims long-awaited compensation. On July 24, 2023, was told he was to be transferred to HMP Kirkham, a category D or 'open' prison in a village in Lancashire, where some inmates are allowed days away from jail and have access to a gym, football pitch and cafe. Advertisement Earlier that year, when Nascimento's conditions were examined as part of a routine annual review, his chances of being transferred appeared to be zero. Yet Cunningham authorised his departure. The prison counter-corruption unit became involved and, after an investigation, wanted to suspend Cunningham. Approval was needed from Sarah Coccia, now chief operating officer of the prisons system. A fellow resident of the Isle of Sheppey, she and her husband had worked with Cunningham's father. Advertisement According to sources, when colleagues asked her to approve Cunningham's suspension, she said that he came from a 'good family' and 'his dad's a good guy'. Ian Bickers, the then head of London prisons who was privy to the conversation, recalls: 'Sarah questioned whether the evidence was sufficient to proceed to suspension and the likelihood of securing a criminal conviction.' Coccia ultimately agreed to place Cunningham on leave. MoJ sources say she did not have a close relationship with his family and it was her job to query such decisions. Resignation on medical grounds Soon after, the governor of HMP Wandsworth allowed Cunningham to resign on medical grounds caused by a 'bad back' and the stress of being suspended. Advertisement She then signed off a compensation award, allowing him to receive two lots of his annual salary — of about £80,000 — as a lump sum subject to tax. Although Cunningham was eventually found guilty of misconduct, he was never referred to police for potential offences . An internal investigation into the prisoner transfers he oversaw was partial and never completed. Cunningham has a meteoric rise through the ranks after following in the footsteps of his dad and brother by joining the prison service. As a guard, his inappropriately chummy manner with prisoners earned him the nickname 'Fun Time Bobbie.' Advertisement In Cunningham's twenties, at HMP Cookham Wood, he was allegedly overheard asking a colleague to assault a young inmate by engaging in a deliberately forceful act of 'restraint'. He was suspended and the matter investigated — but kept his job. In 2015, he apparently had another brush with the law when HMRC intercepted an online delivery of nunchucks, a martial arts weapon. They confiscated them, but did not take further action. Yet aged 28, he was pictured with Rory Stewart, who was prisons minister, at the Prison Officer of the Year awards. In 2021, aged 31, he was appointed head of security, joining the leadership team at Wandsworth despite no specialist training. Advertisement Rachel Lees, a since-retired prison officer who worked under Cunningham in the security team, recalled he seemed 'an extremely unserious man for such a trusted role'. She said that, under his watch intelligence was 'not acted on, cells were not being searched and even large drug finds were not able to be written up, as trained security staff were being sent instead to facilitate exercise on the yard'. In early 2023, Cunningham was promoted to deputy governor alongside his other duties - despite not yet passing the relevant exams. Under Cunningham's watch, a number of serious offenders at Wandsworth had their status reviewed months early and were transferred to an open prison, including Nascimento. Questions over Cunningham's personal life There were also serious questions about Cunnigham's personal life. Advertisement Police were called out to his property following a 'domestic' incident in 2019 and his ex-partner was involved in a fraud investigation which saw her arrested in 3032. Although there was 'no further action' taken against the girlfriend, detectives searched Cunningham's property, where they found what appeared to be stolen goods. He had disclosed neither police matter to his superiors either at the time. In addition, Cunningham was having an affair with the manager of the intelligence hub at HMP Wandsworth, which triaged reports of crime within the prison. In her role, Lucy Edwards sat with the anti-corruption team. There is no suggestion she has any links to criminals. Advertisement When Cunningham was suspended in late July 2023, his sudden disappearance fuelled speculation. Many staff suspected he had 'sold' transfers to prisoners. Inmates were heard saying 'no one's getting D Cat now Bobby's gone'. In September 2023, an inquiry concluded Cunningham was guilty of four breaches and was found to have 'acted unprofessionally'. His severance package was terminated. The following month, a tandem investigation found that the transfers of five prisoners 'warrant further checking' . Yet checks did not take place. Advertisement The review was also limited to transfers between August 1 and 31, 2023, only covering part of Cunninghan's tenure at Wandsworth. Its authors said many files had security restrictions attached. Today, Cunningham and Edwards are a couple and run a property firm and scaffolding company. A Prison Service spokesman said the vast majority of prison staff are 'hard working and honest' adding: ' Where any member of staff falls below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.' MoJ sources say the investigations conducted did not reveal evidence of criminality. Cunningham did not respond. Sullivan, in prison, could not be reached but he is understood to be challenging the police's findings about his role in an organised crime group. Advertisement McGuffie, now in Spain having had all charges against him dropped, is understood to believe he was a victim of police corruption. He declined to comment but a source said he had only just met 'X' recently - and never asked either man to do anything on his behalf.
