Posted by Associate of IS suspect Lisa Smith arrested over ‘unprovoked’ attack on female garda
7 hrs ago
Associate of IS suspect Lisa Smith arrested over ‘unprovoked’ attack on female garda
A CLOSE male associate of Islamic State suspect Lisa Smith has been arrested for a brutal assault on a female garda.
The shocking incident happened yesterday in Dundalk, Co Louth, when the man aged in his 30s was stopped by gardaí for using a mobile phone while driving.
The garda suffered a broken nose and serious injuries to her eye socket.
“This man just kicked off and carried out a totally unprovoked attack when gardaí informed him his vehicle was to be seized,” a senior source said.
“After being arrested his violent behaviour carried on all the way back to the station and in the station.”
Earlier yesterday, in the Dundalk area a male officer was brutally assaulted while conducting a drugs search on a vehicle.
He received injuries to his nose and lip in the incident. A man in his 30s was also arrested in relation to this.
Both suspects have now been charged and are due to appear in court next month.
The violent attacks on the gardaí happened less than two weeks after two gardaí in the same district were also victims of violent attacks.
On the night of December 5, a garda was allegedly attacked and headbutted during the course of a drugs search, only hours after another officer was injured during a hit-and-run in the town.
A suspect has been charged in relation to the assault but there have been no arrests yet in the hit-and run case.
Lisa Smith was not present and had no involvement in the assault on the female garda yesterday.
Ms Smith is due to go on trial at the Special Criminal Court in January 2022 on charges of membership of the Islamic State terrorist group and with financing terrorism.
Ms Smith, who denies the charges, has not come to the attention of gardaí since being released on bail after being charged with the offences.
The former Irish Defence Forces member was arrested and charged with the terrorist offences after she returned from Syria with her daughter last December.
