Ireland Garda awarded Scott Medal for bravery over 2019 Ballymun armed incident
On 11 March 2019, Garda Niall Minnock was with two colleagues responding to a call about an armed man near shops in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin, when shots fired from a bathroom in a private house on Crannogue Road struck him with a shell casing. Derek Devoy, 37, was armed with a Makarov sub-machine gun and a Yugoslavian M75 hand grenade, and after his arrest a bomb disposal unit carried out a controlled explosion on the grenade. Devoy pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to possession of a gun with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury and to assaulting gardaí, and the articles state no sentence. On 26 May 2023 Garda Commissioner Drew Harris presented Minnock with a silver Scott Medal for bravery at Walter Scott House in Dublin, the most recent development.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Convicted26 May
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Garda Niall Minnock, a detective garda, was awarded a silver Scott Medal for bravery.
- Shots were discharged from the bathroom of the house, and a shell casing struck Garda Minnock.
- Where
- Gardaí responded to a call about an armed man near shops in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin.
- The gunman was in a private house on Crannogue Road, Ballymun.
- When
- The incident took place in Ballymun on 11 March 2019.
- Cause
- The Special Criminal Court heard that the gun went off while a primed grenade was on the floor of the house.
- Weapon
- The gunman was armed with a Makarov sub-machine gun, described in the articles as a machine gun, and a Yugoslavian M75 hand grenade.
- Investigation
- After the man was arrested, a Defence Forces bomb disposal unit examined the grenade and a controlled explosion was carried out.
- Charges
- Derek Devoy, 37, pleaded guilty to possession of a gun with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury and to assaulting gardaí.
- In court
- The guilty plea was entered in the Special Criminal Court; the date is not given in the sources.
- Sentence
- No sentence is stated in the articles.
- Other details
- Garda Commissioner Drew Harris presented the Scott Medal on 26 May 2023 at Walter Scott House, Military Road, Dublin.
10 statements extracted from the articles
- whatGarda Niall Minnock was awarded a silver Scott Medal for bravery. (offalyexpress.ie)
- whatShots were discharged from the bathroom of a private house. (offalyexpress.ie)
- whatA shell casing struck Garda Minnock. (offalyexpress.ie)
- whereGardaí had responded to a call about an armed man near shops in Poppintree, Ballymun. (offalyexpress.ie)
- whenThe incident took place in Ballymun on 11 March 2019. (offalyexpress.ie)
- weaponThe gunman was armed with a Makarov sub-machine gun and a Yugoslavian M75 hand grenade. (offalyexpress.ie)
- investigationAfter the man was arrested, an Irish Defence Forces bomb disposal unit examined the grenade and a controlled explosion was carried out. (offalyexpress.ie)
- chargeThe gunman pleaded guilty to possession of a gun with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury and to assaulting gardaí. (offalyexpress.ie)
- courtThe Special Criminal Court heard that the gun went off while a primed grenade was on the floor of the house at Crannogue Road, Ballymun. (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherGarda Commissioner Drew Harris presented the medal at a ceremony in Dublin. (offalyexpress.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 26 May2023Bravery award for unarmed garda from Offaly who took on man armed with machine gun and grenade
Article reports a Scott Medal ceremony for the garda involved and recounts the incident and the guilty plea in the Special Criminal Court; no sentence is stated.
convicted, Derek Devoy, 37, male, named, irish (judged from name)Derek Devoyvictim, Niall Minnock, irish (judged from name)Niall Minnock