A garda was unable to dress himself and had to move back to his family until he recovered, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said in a Garda compensation hearing in the High Court on Monday.
Judge Coffey said Garda Gary Brennan had to have his right hand partly encased in a slab after his index finger bone, between the knuckle and wrist, was fractured while making an arrest.
Conor Maguire SC, counsel for Garda Brennan, said he was the captain and goalkeeper for the Garda Síochána GAA team which played against other police and defence forces.
Mr Maguire told the court Garda Brennan (30) was injured in October 2011 when called to a pub in Finglas, Dublin, where he had to arrest a man who had been obstreperous with a doorman.
Maliciously injured
Garda Brennan, who is right-hand dominant, told the court his hand had been maliciously injured while he was attempting to handcuff the suspected troublemaker. Later he had been treated at the emergency department of Connolly hospital where a slab had been fitted to his hand and which he had to wear for five weeks. He had been off work for three months.
Awarding him €20,000 damages the judge said that while Garda Brennan had recovered and had returned to his sport, Garda Brennan still experienced difficulties while playing and particularly when punching balls.
He had given his evidence honestly and made light of what had been a very frightening experience.