Two Donegal gardaí honoured for bravery

Two Donegal gardaí - Garda Damien Welby from Donegal Town and Garda Alan Lynch, Malin - have been presented with Scott Medal Commendations following their investigation and actions into a fatal stabbing and two serious assaults in Dundalk on January 3, 2018.

The Scott Medal is the highest award that can be bestowed by the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána and is awarded for most exceptional bravery and heroism involving the risk of life in the execution of duty

Deputy Commissioner Shauna Coxon recently presented these awards at Dundalk Garda Station where both men are based.

The background to the actions that led to the award shows how both dealt with a potentially life-threatening situation.

At 9am on January 3, 2018 gardaí received a report that a 24-year-old male had been fatally stabbed on Long Avenue, Dundalk by another male. This was a totally unprovoked attack and it was reported that he had been stabbed in the back without any prior interaction.  

At 9.30am the same day an identical stabbing of another male, 23-years-old, occurred on the Inner Relief Road, Dundalk. This male was stabbed in the upper back and his injuries were not fatal. As with the earlier incident on Long Avenue Road, this attack was totally unprovoked. 

A short time later, at 9.40am, a third male, 23-years-old, was struck with a wooden post on Quay Street, Dundalk. He sustained an injury to his head as a result in this third unprovoked assault. 

It appeared that all three random attacks had been carried out by the same person and a description of the suspect was circulated to all garda units in Dundalk. 

Garda Welby subsequently observed the suspect on the Inner Relief Road, Dundalk. He was carrying a wooden post and was suspected to be carrying a weapon. Garda Lynch also arrived at the Inner Relief Road to assist Garda Welby. 

The suspect was highly aggressive and agitated towards both gardaí who were now out of their vehicles and engaging with him. Both then managed to restrain him and he was subsequently disarmed at this location and arrested in relation to the murder of the 24-year-old male on Long Avenue, Dundalk. 

The suspect was subsequently charged in respect of all offences committed during the morning of January 3, 2018 and the cases were concluded before the courts.

He remains in detention under S.5 (2) of the Criminal Law Insanity Act at the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum.