Man remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate’s Court after police car rammed and officers injured

A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate’s Court charged with a series of offences including grievous bodily harm and grievous bodily injury to police officers after their car was rammed.

Ben Kearns-Flynn (26) with an address at Park Road in Monaghan appeared to face 16 charges including dangerous driving, assaulting and resisting police, driving with excess alcohol, grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving and attempted grievous bodily harm to resist apprehension.

All of the offences were said to have occurred on September 20.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail. 

The court heard that around 1.00pm on that date police attended a four vehicle road traffic accident on the Victoria Road. 

Witnesses told police a blue Transit van had driven into another vehicle causing it to strike others.

The driver, said to be the defendant, was alleged to have got out of his vehicle and a bottle of vodka fell out.

He then got back into his vehicle and drove away without checking on other drivers and passengers including a 2-year-old child.

Shortly afterwards at Ballymagorry police signalled the van to stop and then pulled in front of it.

At this the blue Transit accelerated and rammed the police vehicle which was armoured and the court was told valued at six figures.

The two police officers alighted but we're shocked and the defendant was the said to have started punching at the officers before CS spray was used and members of the public assisted in his arrest. 

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A breath test taken some 4 hours later revealed a reading of 110mgs more than three times the legal limit. 

The two female police officers were injured in the incident and were unable to return to work. 

At interview the defendant said he had not been drinking prior to the first incident but things were 'hazy' after that.

The court heard two bottles of vodka were found in the van.

Bail was opposed due to the fact the defendant was seen as a danger to the public and was a flight risk as he lived outside the jurisdiction. 

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that it was 'a very serious case' and it was also accepted that police officers were entitled to go to work without being assaulted. 

He said that alcohol was at the root of this as the defendant had 'struggled' with that issue for some time. 

He said the defendant's family were appalled at the son's actions and knew he could have killed someone. 

District Judge Conor Heaney said the facts in the case were 'very concerning indeed' and could have had 'a worse outcome'.

He said Kearns-Flynn was not a suitable case for bail and remanded him in custody to appear again on October 16.