“I genuinely, for the first time in my life, thought I was going to die,” she said.
Shocking video, published by the Sunday World, revealed how unarmed gardai were forced to flee for their lives as they were attacked by hatchet wielding Sligo man Damien O’Sullivan.
The horrific footage shows out-of-control O’Sullivan hacking at a garda van in which Garda Clodagh Sharkey, Garda Mark Irwin and Sgt. Terence McMahon sought refuge at St Brigid’s Place, Sligo on the night May 1st 2024.
According to court records, Damien Tansey Solicitors filed a personal injury claim in the High Court on behalf of Garda Sharkey on September 25th.
During the attack, a blow from the hatchet smashed the passenger window with Gda Sharkey later recalling in court during O’Sullivan’s trial: “I thought I was going to be beheaded.”
“I genuinely, for the first time in my life, thought I was going to die,” she said.
The video later shows the gardai flee from the vehicle in fear of their lives.
The incident and the footage, obtained by the Sunday World, led to calls from the Garda Representative Association for the full-time deployment of an Armed Support Unit to Sligo – as the unarmed officers had to wait for 40 minutes for armed back up on the night of the attack.
Last March, Garda Ray Wims, GRA Representative for Sligo-Leitrim, told this newspaper: “It is unacceptable that our members, faced with an immediate and lethal threat, were forced to wait 40 minutes for armed support to arrive from a neighbouring garda division. That delay could have cost lives.”
Damien O’Sullivan went on a seven hour rampage with axe.
News in 90 Seconds – October 3rd
Appearing before Sligo Circuit Court, O’Sullivan pleaded guilty to a 17 count indictment arising from the incident and two unrelated matters involving the theft of a motorbike and causing damage to a house.
The defendant was charged with confronting and chasing the three gardai while armed with a hatchet, endangerment and making threats to kill them.
Prosecuting barrister Leo Mulrooney BL said the incident began with a 999 call from O’Sullivan’s mother, Pauline who requested that gardaí saying the house was being wrecked by her son, Damien.
Garda Sharkey said she met Pauline O’Sullivan in the hallway and she said that “he’s upstairs.”
“All of a sudden, Damien O’Sullivan charged down the stairs at us with a large hatchet in his hand and ran at us,” she said.
“We ran out of the house and Damien O’Sullivan slammed the door, locking it from the inside,” said Garda Sharkey.
The Armed Support Unit was requested but the Unit, based in Ballyshannon would be 40 minutes before they’d get there.
The defendant was still roaring and opened the front door, coming out with the hatchet, swinging it in the air, shouting at the Gardaí to get away from his house.
His mother came out also and the Gardaí ushered her up the street.
O’Sullivan then came out of the house and hit the front of a patrol van a number of times with the hatchet and made threats to kill the Gardaí.
Sgt McMahon and Garda Irwin got into the van and told Garda Sharkey to get in also.
“I got in the passenger seat of the van and Damien O’Sullivan walked over, swinging the hatchet in front of him. Sergeant McMahon put the van into reverse and it conked.
“Damien O’Sullivan was getting closer to the passenger side window where I was sitting.
“I put my hands up to the window and I screamed at Damien O’Sullivan to stop.
“Sergeant McMahon put the van in reverse again and it conked and Damien O’Sullivan swung the hatchet at the passenger window and the glass shattered in on us.
“I thought I was going to be beheaded,” said Garda Sharkey. She didn’t know how the hatchet didn’t hit them.
“I genuinely, for the first time in my life, thought I was going to die,” she said.
She shouted at Sgt McMahon to reverse the van and as he did so, the defendant began hitting the patrol car with the hatchet.
Pauline O’Sullivan had gotten into the back of the patrol car.
When the patrol van had reversed out of the cul de sac, Garda Sharkey got out and saw Mrs O’Sullivan getting out of the patrol car.
Garda Sharkey told her to run towards Mail Coach Road.
The defendant approached Garda Sharkey and said, ‘I’ll kill ya.’
He had the hatchet in his hand. “I said, ‘please Damien.’
He was about a metre from me and he ran at me,” said Garda Sharkey.
Other Gardaí arrived on the scene but the Armed Response Unit was 20 minutes at this stage.
They kept O’Sullivan under observation. He walked back and forth from his house to the abandoned patrol car which he was smashing up.
The Armed Response Unit arrived and Garda Sharkey said she was never so happy to see them. O’Sullivan threw knives out the window at them.
He then began taking slates off the porch and throwing them at the Armed Response Unit members.
Judge Keenan Johnson described the incident as a frenetic rampage and the defendant was like a man possessed.
“The life of a Garda is not an easy one and they don’t know what they are going to face and we have to be grateful to them,” he said.
O’Sullivan is due to be sentenced on December 16th.