This article is from page 2 of the 2006-01-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
THE head of the Clare Garda Division has confirmed that a complaint of physical assault, concerning a Clare Garda, has been received by the Garda Complaints Board.
The complaint has been made by a mother on behalf of her 16- and 17-yearold sons, who cannot be named because of legal reasons, and concerns an incident which took place earlier this month.
In a letter sent to the Garda Complaints Board last week, the mother claims that both of her sons were physically assaulted by a west Clare Garda at 10pm on Wednesday, January 4.
According to the letter, the Garda, who was accompanied by a second Garda, stopped the car of her elder son on the evening in question.
The brothers claim that both Gardaí abused them verbally before asking the driver to step outside of the vehicle.
“They started calling us loads of names like ‘scumbag’, ‘knacker’ and the ‘three stooges’,” said the driver.
“They called me out of the car and called me a ‘thick c**t’ and asked me for my licence and insurance. I told him that I wasn’t a thick c**t, ‘you might be but I’m not’.”
The brothers claim that one of the Gardaí twisted the driver’s hand behind his back and punched him in the stomach before telling him that he was under arrest.
According to the letter, the younger brother then tried to come to his brother’s aid but caught his foot in the gear stick while his upper body was half out the driver side window of the car.
At this point, the brothers claim that the Garda who had allegedly assaulted the driver kicked the younger brother in the face, knocking him unconscious.
According to the older brother, the second Garda then removed his unconscious brother from the car and placed him on the ground, where he began to have a seizure.
“They started to panic after that and told me to ring the ambulance, they didn’t want to ring it themselves,” said the older brother.
“They said that if anything happened to him, it would be my fault.
“They were talking to each other and said, ‘which one will we ring, the squad car, the ambulance or their mother?’”
The injured brother was brought to Ennis General Hospital where he was treated for facial injuries and was held overnight.
“The family have made a complaint,” Clare Chief Superintendent Liam Quinn told The Clare People . “Should the Complaints Board decide that an investigation is warranted, an independent officer will be appointed to investigate the matter.”
Should the Garda be found guilty of assault the Garda Complaints Board can impose sanctions including dismissal, reduction in rank and reduction in pay.