Two gardaí have gone on trial charged with assault causing harm to a man they detained at Tallaght Garda station on an alleged public order offence two years ago.
Garda Martin Woods and Sgt Darragh Jennings have denied in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court assault causing harm to Mr Christopher Boyle (22), Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, on May 5th, 2002.
Mr Boyle told Mr Seán Gillane, prosecuting, that as a result of the assault on him he lost his job as a wood machinist. The injuries left him unable to do the lifting required by the job, he said.
He told the court that Garda Jennings, who had arrested him and brought him to the station, hit him several times on the face while Sgt Woods held his hands behind his back. He also alleged that Garda Jennings "rained several blows" on him with his baton.
He said he had been talking on his mobile phone outside a chip shop in Tallaght about 3 a.m. after a night of socialising when he first encountered Garda Jennings who indicated a fresh urine stain nearby and asked if he knew who had done it.
He told the garda he had no knowledge of the incident, and Garda Jennings had asked him: "Are you trying to be cheeky with me?" When he replied in the negative, Garda Jennings dragged him into a Garda van nearby and took him to Tallaght Garda station. Mr Boyle said he was angry and abusive as he had not been told the reason for his arrest. He refused to give gardaí his name and was assaulted by Garda Jennings.
He said Sgt Woods, the member in charge on duty, joined in the assault, saying: "I will get your name". He held Mr Boyle's arm behind his back and said he could break it.
Mr Boyle said he gave them his correct name and address at which point he saw two other gardaí coming from somewhere inside the station. One of them was a woman who drew her baton and said: "Ah, the usual."
Garda Jennings drew his baton at this point and started "raining blows" on him with his baton. Mr Boyle said he was then taken to a cell where he was hit a few more times by Garda Jennings before he "lost consciousness". Next thing he remembered was being woken up by Sgt Woods asking him to sign a bail bond. Mr Boyle said his eyes were swollen from the beating and he could not see what he was being asked to sign. When he refused, Sgt Woods slapped him a few more times saying, "Just f***ing sign it."
Sgt Woods left the cell and returned a second time asking for Mr Boyle's signature. He then told Mr Boyle that his father was outside. He left the station with his father and returned later to make an official complaint after being examined by doctors.
He agreed in cross-examination by Mr John O'Donnell SC, counsel for Garda Jennings, that he "could have" falsely given his name as "Joe Bloggs, Willy Bone Lane".
He denied, however, that Garda Jennings had approached him earlier that morning when he was urinating on the street and asked him to move on. He denied Mr O'Donnell's suggestion that he was only arrested when he was asked to leave a second time later in the day and refused to do so.
He denied he had resisted arrest by Garda Jennings and that it was with the help of another garda that he was taken into custody. Mr Boyle also denied punching Garda Jennings when his handcuffs were released after he agreed to co-operate with gardaí at the station.
He agreed he had been charged with assaulting another garda in 1998 when he was arrested for a public order offence. That assault charge was dropped when he pleaded guilty to the public order offence.
He also agreed, in cross-examination by Mr Anthony Sammon SC, counsel for Sgt Woods, that he has instigated civil proceedings against Garda Jennings, Sgt Woods, the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, as well as the Attorney General, arising from the same alleged beating.
The trial continues before Judge Frank O'Donnell.