A Garda Complaints Board tribunal has recommended that a sergeant in Waterford be dismissed from the force. The recommendation goes to the Commissioner, who will decide whether it will be implemented.
The internal disciplinary hearing against Sgt Humphrey O'Leary followed a court case last year in which a neighbouring family accused him and his wife, Marian, of watching them with a video camera.
Mr Martin Barrett took a case for invasion of privacy against Sgt O'Leary and his wife and also made several complaints to the Garda Complaints Board, which culminated in yesterday's recommendation.
The board would not comment on the case, though a senior garda i in Waterford confirmed that Sgt O'Leary had been recommended for dismissal for "unacceptable behaviour for a member of the force". The complaints made against him by Mr Barrett were found to "stand up".
Mr Barrett runs a car dealership business in the city, and lives with his wife Nora and five children in Ballinakill. He said yesterday the trouble started with his wife's Tupperware party. She did not invite Mrs O'Leary.
"From then on things went downhill," said Mr Barrett. "You had a situation where they were staring across from their own house. They'd be making gestures and making faces and passing remarks to my kids." Mr Barrett said his wife "got an awful time from those people and after the court case became very ill". She has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
The situation deteriorated particularly after 1997, he continued.
When Mr Barrett took the O'Learys to court, Mr O'Leary was ordered to apologise and remove the video camera. Sgt O'Leary was also said to have targeted cars outside Mr Barrett's business with parking tickets.
Sgt O'Leary had been transferred to Limerick after the court case.
Mr Barrett said he was "absolutely delighted" with the decision of the board. "This man has made my life and my family's life an absolute hell."
