The jailing of an angler for assaulting a fisheries officer has been welcomed by the fisheries authority, saying it sends out a clear message that the courts will not tolerate any interference with fisheries officers carrying out their duties.
Sean Long, Director of the South Western River Basin District of Inland Fisheries Ireland, said the jail sentence handed down to Jason Callaghan sent out a clear message to anyone considering interfering with fisheries officers.
‘The safety of our fisheries officers is of utmost importance to IFI. This was a reckless assault on an Officer in broad daylight on a busy street which could have had significant consequences for a man simply trying to carry out his job.
“Thankfully, our staff member was back at work after a couple of days and able to continue protecting our fisheries resource. I hope these custodial sentences will give would-be offenders pause for thought,” he said.
Mr Long was commenting after Callaghan from Lower Barrack Street, Cork was convicted of assaulting a fisheries officer in the course of carrying out their duties at the Cork Road Bridge in Midleton in East Cork on July 21st 2019.
IFI Fisheries Officers had spotted Callaghan and two other men, Keith Ryan and Calvin Morrissey fishing illegally in the Owenacurra when the river was closed to angling for the protection and conservation of salmon and sea trout stocks.
Judge Brian O’Shean heard how Callaghan fled the scene when the fisheries officers approached him and he was pursued from the river to the town centre where he assaulted a fishery officer with the metal end of a fishing rod.
The fisheries officer fell to the ground and was injured in the assault which was witnessed by a local Detective Garda who had been attending the incident and who gave evidence at the special sitting of Midleton District Court.
Judge O’Shea convicted Callaghan of assaulting the Fisheries Officer in the execution of his duty and after hearing he had previous convictions for fisheries offences, he jailed him for four months on the assault charge.
He also sentenced Callaghan to two months concurrent and fined him €500 for the use of a strokehaul and he ordered the forfeiture of his fishing rod while he took a third charge of impeding a fisheries officer into consideration.
Callaghan's co-accused, Kieran Ryan from Curraheen Close in Cork was given a two month jail sentence for having a strokehaul and a month concurrent for impeding a fisheries officer while he was also ordered to forfeit his fishing rod.
Another co-accused, Calvin Morrissey from Gormlee, Carrignavar, Co Cork was fined €500 for having a strokehaul and a further €500 for impeding a Fisheries Officer in the execution of his duty.
Judge O’Shea rejected submissions from legal representatives for the three accused who were all prosecuted by IFI for offences under the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959.
Judge O’Shea said Callaghan had told lies in the witness box which he “expressly rejected” and he noted that there was “no hint of an apology and no remorse” from Callaghan or either of his co-defendants.
Mr Long said that an assault on a fisheries officer was “a severe matter” and the IFI would continue to prosecute “without exception” offenders who assault or impede or obstruct their officers doing their work.
Mr Long also urged anglers and members of the public who noticed any illegal fishing to report the matter to the IFI through its confidential hotline on 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24.
