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Life

10th Dec 2015

Woman Shot In Tragic Garda Golden Incident Has Woken Up But Has “Long Road” Ahead

The former girlfriend of Adrian Crevan Mackin, who gunned down Garda Tony Golden, has no recollection of the shooting.

Megan Cassidy

The former girlfriend of Adrian Crevan Mackin, who gunned down Garda Tony Golden before turning the gun on himself, has regained consciousness this week.

Siobhan Phillips was shot in the head and arm by her former partner in the incident which saw Garda Golden lose his life in October of this year in Omeath County Louth.

Garda Golden

Garda Tony Golden was shot dead after responding to the domestic violence call.

Garda Golden had been helping Siobhan collect her belongings after she had decided to leave Mackin following years of physical abuse, when Mackin opened fire murdering Garda Golden and shooting Siobhan in the head.

Siobhan’s family have said it’s a “miracle” that she survived the shooting and have thanked the many people who offered support.

Her mother, Bronagh said: “I would like to thank the parish priests and the curates in Omeath and Carlingford Parish as well as Bishop Eamon Martin.  The Bishop went to visit Siobhan in hospital and he said mass for her two weeks ago.”

She added that she would love to have her out of hospital by Christmas, but that it’s “very early days”.

Speaking abut her current condition, her aunt Lorraine said: “She is doing OK but we won’t know the full extent until she really starts talking.

“At the moment she is not asking questions about anything, she is not curious in any way.

“She is smiling and knows everything you are saying but she is not asking any questions. She does know everybody that comes in to her.

“It is a miracle and that she is not paralysed. She seems to be getting there but it is a long road ahead of her.

“The doctors said her memory might come back and then again it might not.”

Lorraine revealed that the bullet had never penetrated her brain.

She said: “It hit off her skull and as a result of this injury she has lost her right eye.

“She must have had her arms up to protect herself.

“She was shot twice in her left arm and it ricocheted off one of her bones and there is some shrapnel embedded in her.”