MINISTER FOR Defence Willie O'Dea has described being the subject of a false complaint as a "traumatic experience".
The Limerick TD was speaking after one of his constituents was given a three-month suspended jail sentence for making a false statement to gardaí about an alleged assault involving Mr O'Dea last year.
Matt Larkin, Altamira Court, Thomondgate, Limerick, claimed in court that the Minister punched him several times in the stomach and grabbed him by the throat, but Judge Tom O'Donnell did not accept Larkin's version of events from the evidence he had heard and seen.
Speaking after the guilty verdict yesterday, Mr O'Dea admitted he was apprehensive about being a State witness.
"I must confess when I was asked to be a witness I said yes, but when it came closer to the time I admit I had second thoughts because members of my family were saying to me, ' your high profile and this is going to be a media circus, is this really the kind of publicity you want?' " Mr O'Dea said.
"My wife's father died only a few weeks ago and all these things had to be taken into consideration, but at the end of the day I decided the right thing to do would be to go in and give evidence.
"It's a very traumatic experience to be the subject of a false complaint and I'm not the first to be the subject of a false complaint and I won't be the last. It is a very horrible experience, but whatever pressures you are under it is important that witnesses come forward because that's what makes the system work," he said.
Larkin (35) vowed to appeal the ruling "all the way to Europe".