Calls for 'reset' in road safety following Garda death
The Garda Commissioner has called for "a reset" of the approach to road safety, particularly in relation to distracted and drunk driving, not wearing seat belts and speeding.
Drew Harris said there will be a review of Roads Policing following the death of Garda Kevin Flatley in Dublin yesterday.
The 49-year-old married father of two was knocked down as he tried to flag down a speeding high powered motorcycle in Lanestown near Blakes Cross.
Mr Flatley was a dedicated, committed and valued Garda who lost his life in the line of duty.
He was attached to the Garda Roads Policing Bureau at Dublin Castle since 2018 and had previously served in community policing in Blanchardstown where he was well known and liked there.
He was knocked down and killed instantly when he tried to stop the high powered Yamaha 1000 motorcycle speeding on the old Swords to Balbriggan Road yesterday afternoon.
It was travelling north towards Balbriggan in the fast lane when the Garda tried to flag it down at 12.50pm.
The emergency services were called and an off duty doctor treated the Garda at the scene.
The Commissioner said that all assistance was rendered as quickly as possible but Mr Flatley died from his injuries.
The motorcyclist remains in a critical condition in Beaumont Hospital.
Mr Flatley coached the under ten girls' team at O'Dwyers in Balbriggan with great enthusiasm, energy and encouragement and his two daughters played for the GAA club.
The club described him as an absolute gentleman who had a huge part to play in the club, someone who always lent a hand when he could.
The Garda Commissioner said the tragic death of Mr Flatley once again illustrates "the extraordinary dangers" facing Gardaí.
Mr Harris has called for "a rethink" of society's approach to road safety.
He said the Gardaí want to see "what is the cutting edge, the leading edge in terms of technology and tactics we need to deploy."
However, the Commissioner pointed out that while this tragedy represents "the very hard edge" of road policing, the Gardaí need to and will keep their reinforcement efforts going.
He also said that "unbelievably" a second Garda was also hit by a motorcycle in Coolock yesterday and had his leg broken.
One man was arrested.
A third Garda was also injured on duty last week when he was hit by a car.
The Gardaí also renewed their appeal for information and dash cam footage.
The Commissioner said a number of people had come forward but they were still seeking information on the movements of the R1 Yamaha Motorcycle from around midday yesterday, in the hour before it killed Garda Kevin Flatley.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Gardaí join Europol operation tackling rise in 'child radicalisation' online
Gardaí have taken part in a European police operation targeting the exploitation and radicalization of children online. The operation was coordinated by Europol, the EU police agency, and involved 11 member states and five other countries not in the EU, including Britain and Ukraine. The so-called 'Referral Action Day' identified more than 2,000 links pointing to 'jihadist and right-wing violent extremist and terrorist propaganda' targeting minors. Europol said the action day comes just a few weeks after it set up a new operational taskforce to tackle 'the rising trend' of online groups recruiting young perpetrators into serious and organised crime. The taskforce has identified trends in online propaganda to attract younger people, typically combining images and videos of children with extremist messaging. They have also found guidance to parents that have been radicalized in how to raise 'future jihadists'. Europol said: 'One of the key observations that led to this coordinated action is the use of AI, particularly in the creation of images, text and videos designed to resonate with younger audiences. 'Propagandists invest in content, short videos, memes, and other visual formats, carefully stylised to appeal to minors and families that may be susceptible to extremist manipulation, as well as content incorporating gaming elements with terrorist audio and visual material.' It said that other material include the 'glorification' of minors involved in terrorist attacks. In this regard, terrorist propaganda predominantly targets male minors, manipulating them into joining extremist groups by promoting heroic narratives that portray them as 'warriors' and the 'hope' of society'. It said female minors are referenced less frequently, with their roles largely confined to raising and indoctrinating future 'fighters' for the cause. Europol said that another manipulation technique that has been 'worrying' for the past years is the increased use of victimhood narratives, particularly imagery of wounded or killed children in conflict zones. 'This manipulation serves a dual purpose: it fosters emotional identification with the victims while simultaneously inciting a desire for retaliation and further violence,' Europol said. It said that in 2024, law enforcement authorities in EU member states worked on a 'large number of terrorism-related cases involving minors'. It said that Europol's Counter Terrorism Centre supports member states in preventing and investigating the dissemination of terrorist content online. Europol executive director Catherine De Bolle, said: 'Terrorist groups are increasingly targeting young people, exploiting their vulnerabilities but also their abilities to manage online capabilities to advance violent and extremist agendas." Strong collaboration between public authorities and private sector partners is essential to prevent the radicalisation of minors into harming themselves and our society. Ireland isn't part of the operational taskforce established at the end of April. It is being led by Sweden, which has seen a rise in the use of children to carry out violent acts for gangs for a fee – up to and including murder. Europol said: 'Young people are being deliberately targeted and recruited to commit a wide range of crimes — from drug trafficking and cyber-attacks to online fraud and violent extortion. Recruitment is often highly strategic, exploiting vulnerabilities and glamorising a luxurious, violent lifestyle. 'Social media platforms and messaging apps are used to reach young people through coded language, memes and gamified tasks. In return for money, status or a sense of belonging, they are drawn into criminal schemes that are both violent and transnational.' It addition to Sweden, other countries in the taskforce are Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and non-EU member Norway. Last February, Europol issued an alert on a related issue, highlighting online groups and so-called online 'grooming cult groups' that are targeting vulnerable young people to join networks that share extremely violent material. Read More Gardaí seize devices with child sexual abuse material as part of international operation
Sunday World
11 hours ago
- Sunday World
Woman who died in Galway house fire named as former death row inmate Sunny Jacobs
Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs, aged in her late 70s, spent 17 years on death row in the US after being wrongfully convicted for murder A woman who died tragically in house fire in Connemara has been named as Sunny Jacobs, a US citizen who spent years on death row in America after being wrongfully convicted for murder. Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs, aged in her late 70s, spent 17 years on death row over the murder of two police officers. A man in his 30s, understood to be a carer for Ms Jacobs, also lost his life in the fire in Co Galway in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs News in 90 Seconds - 3rd June 2025 Emergency services were alerted to the fire at a property near Glenicmurrin, Casla, Co Galway, shortly after 6am. It is understood the deceased were the only occupants of the house at the time the blaze broke out. "At approximately 6:20am, Gardaí and Fire Services were alerted to a house fire at Gleann Mhic Mhuireann. The fire was brought under control by Fire Services and the bodies of a woman aged in her 70s and a man in his 30s were recovered from inside the house,' a garda spokesperson said. Three units of the County Galway Fire Service were dispatched to the scene, with personnel from Galway city and An Cheathrú Rua involved in bringing the blaze under control. Ms Jacobs moved to Ireland in the 1990s and settled in the Connemara area. In 1976, she and her husband, Jesse Tafero, were both convicted of the murder of two police officers when they were implicated by an acquaintance, Walter Rhodes, with whom they were travelling. Rhodes was in fact the person who shot the two officers at a rest stop. Sunny and Jess Tafero and their two children were driving from Florida to North Carolina when their car broke down. Walter Rhodes met them on the roadside and agreed to drive them. Sunny fell asleep with the children in the back seat, but was awoken by a policeman knocking on the window. In the moments that followed, Rhodes opened fire, killing the two police officers. Peter Pringle and Sonia (Sunny) Jacobs (Image: Collins Courts) All three were arrested and the children were taken away. Rhodes negotiated a plea bargain claiming Jesse and Sunny had shot the officer, in exchange for a life sentence. Both Sunny and Jesse were sentenced to death. Sunny was put in solitary confinement for five years, awaiting execution – an experience she likened to torture. Her sentence was eventually reduced to life, but Jesse was executed in obscene circumstances wherein the electric chair malfunctioned and it took him 13 and a half minutes to die. After Jesse's execution, Rhodes finally confessed that he had fired the fatal shots. Following her release, she began advocating for those wrongfully convicted and ultimately came to Ireland where she met Peter Pringle – who was sentenced to death for the murder of two gardaí, Garda Henry Byrne and John Morley. Pringle served 15 years before he was released in May 1995, after his conviction was deemed unsafe and quashed.
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
Man arrested and charged after garda assaulted on board plane at Dublin Airport
A man has been arrested and charged after 'viciously' assaulting a garda on board a plane at Dublin Airport on Tuesday morning. The man, aged in his 40s, was on board a transatlantic United Airlines flight travelling from Newark, New Jersey, to Dublin. The captain and crew of the flight reported the man being disruptive and requested the assistance of gardaí, who subsequently boarded and attempted to engage with him. A Garda spokesperson said the man proceeded to 'viciously assault a member of An Garda Síochána'. READ MORE Pepper spray was deployed during the incident, according to the Garda. The passenger subsequently fled the aircraft and was arrested a short time later. He has since been charged with assault and offences under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 2022 and is due before Dublin District Court on Tuesday evening. 'The Garda member who was injured during this incident is being treated at Beaumont Hospital for non-life threatening injuries,' the spokesperson said.
