Donkey killer gets two years
by Niamh McPhelimy
A DUBLIN man who killed a 32 year old donkey by driving an iron bar through its eye and skull has been jailed for two years by Judge Kieran O’Connor.
Judge O’Connor described the offence as a brutal, savage and senseless assault on a dumb animal brought on by a combination of drugs and drink.
Allen Carmichael, 22, an apprentice electrician, of Castleview, Streamstown, Malahide, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to unlawfully and maliciously killing a female donkey on May 30, 1998. Judge O’Connor said he had no option but to jail him : “You vented your anger on the animal and killed it.”
Judge O’Connor added: “Everything you have done in life has been excellent except this one act described as a moment of madness. Your behaviour was appalling and it is difficult to understand how you came to savagely beat the animal.”
The donkey, known locally as ‘Salt,’ was bought for £30 in 1976. It was jointly owned by Mr Gilbert Kirker, Casino, Dublin Road, Malahide and the Donkey Sanctuary, Mallow, Co Cork. In evidence Det Sgt Feeney said ‘Salt’ lived with a companion donkey, called ‘Pepper’, on six acres of farm land. Both were a major tourist attraction and children on their way to school would hand feed their lunch to them. ‘Salt’ was found lying on her side with a fence bar sticking out of her skull on May 30, 1998. The bar had been vertically driven through ‘Salt’s’ eye and skull.
Det Sgt Feeney said gardaí had been notified of the killing of the donkey some hours earlier by two youths who had been out drinking with Carmichael.
The three of them had tried to ride the donkeys.
One of the youths said he had seen Carmichael hit ‘Salt’ with a ‘stick’. He then saw Carmichael hit her several times as she lay on the ground.
Det Sgt Feeney said the two other youths later had “a twinge of conscience” and came to Malahide Garda Station to tell what happened.
Feeney phoned Carmichael’s father and though it was after 1 am the defendant’s father brought his son to the station within minutes.
Carmichael readily admitted what he done. He said he saw ‘Salt’ fall, twitching and out of breath so he hit her 10 times with an iron bar. The donkey was in pain so he stabbed the bar through it’s head. Det Sgt Feeney said he believed ‘Salt’ had been dead before the bar went through her head.A psychologist, Ms Rosemary Troy, who assessed Carmichael described his underlying character as gentle, quiet and self effacing.
She said the attack was totally uncharacteristic and had been a direct result of alcohol and drugs he had consumed since midday prior to the incident.
She said he had complied to strict conditions set by her and had attended narcotics and alcoholics anonymous meetings to the point of ‘over attendance.’ All his urine tests had since been negative for drugs.
Carmichael’s employer and a retired member of the gardaí also spoke about the defendant in glowing terms.
However, Judge O’Connor said he had no other option but to send Carmichael to jail
© The Examiner, 1999