Garda Assault Temple Bar: Guilty Verdict
Garda Convicted of Assaulting Teenager After “Leg sweep” Leaves Boy with Fractured Skull
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Dublin, Ireland – A Garda has been found guilty of two counts of assault on a 17-year-old boy, following an incident in Temple Bar were the teenager sustained a fractured skull. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after deliberating for over four hours.
Incident Details and Prosecution’s Case
the court heard that on the night in question, Garda Lorcan Murphy and another officer approached the teenager on Essex Street. Prosecuting counsel, john Gallagher, highlighted that the central issue for the jury was the reasonableness of the force used by Garda Murphy. While the initial arrest of the boy was not disputed,Mr. Gallagher detailed how Garda Murphy performed a “leg sweep” on the handcuffed teenager, bringing him forcefully too the ground.
The impact of the fall resulted in the boy hitting his head, leading to a fractured skull. He was subsequently admitted to Beaumont Hospital, where he remained for five days receiving treatment. Further charges against Garda Murphy included a second assault at Pearse Street Garda Station, where he was accused of pulling the boy back by his hair and applying force to his chest.
Garda Murphy, in his statements, claimed the leg sweep was a response to the boy refusing to remove his hands from his pockets and producing a glass bottle. He stated that a crowd had gathered and the boy was spitting towards him, making him feel unsafe for both himself and the teenager. Mr. gallagher emphasized that while gardaí have a challenging role, they are bound by the same laws regarding the use of force as any other citizen, and the prosecution argued that the level of force employed in this instance was not reasonable.
Victim’s account and Witness Testimony
The victim, who was 17 at the time of the incident, testified that he had no recollection of the events, attributing this to having consumed alcohol and cannabis that day. The court was informed that the teenager has 44 previous convictions, though Garda Murphy was unaware of his history at the time of the assaults.
An eyewitness present in the area described the boy as appearing “out of it” and stated that Garda Murphy “spear tackled” him, causing the boy to go “limp and lifeless.” Another witness corroborated this, describing the action as flipping the boy “in a sudden manner, and bashed his head off the ground.” Both eyewitnesses recalled hearing references to a knife during the altercation.
The court also heard that ten days after the Temple Bar incident, the teenager was involved in an alleged assault on O’Connell Street, where he reportedly kicked and beat an individual after they withdrew money from an ATM. He stated he had never been charged in relation to this incident on June 1, 2021. He also mentioned having resisted arrest in the past but maintained he did not do so on the occasion in question.
Defense Arguments and Verdict
defence counsel, Justin McQuade, urged the jury to consider the pressures faced by individuals in uniform, suggesting society might have “lost some sight on what people in uniform do for us.” He argued that those in uniform are “expected, not invited to step forward” and that the jury should consider “honest belief” even if mistaken in the heat of the moment. Mr. McQuade cautioned that criminalizing gardaí for using force could lead to hesitation in future situations, which would benefit no one, and stressed the necessity of force to protect citizens from those with criminal intent.
Despite these arguments, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both counts after four hours and 20 minutes of deliberation. Silence fell over the courtroom as the verdicts were delivered.
Sentencing and Next Steps
Judge Pauline Codd ordered a probation report and a victim impact statement to be sought. Garda Lorcan Murphy was remanded on continuing bail until November 3.