Courts / Dublin / Report
Garda denies seeing colleague punch a man in the head in trial of soldier accused of assaulting five gardai
Summary
The trial of Naoise O'Conarain, a soldier stationed at Cathal Brugha Barracks, continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Patrick McCartan. O'Conarain, 22, of Kilnamanagh, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting five gardai—Andrew Quinn, Fiachra Molloy, Ross Foy, Kevin Keane, and Simon Butler—allegedly causing harm to Quinn and Molloy at his home on March 10, 2013. On day five, Garda Simon Butler testified that he arrived around 4am to find 20 to 40 people carrying alcohol. He stated that the accused's father, Gearoid, and brother, Oisin, were abusive and resisted arrest; Butler assisted in placing Oisin in a patrol van, during which O'Conarain allegedly kicked the van door, injuring Butler's finger. Butler denied seeing a colleague punch Gearoid in the head or striking him in the legs. Under cross-examination by Mícheál O'Higgins SC, Butler could not confirm if Garda Quinn used specific abusive language toward the public. The defense also questioned Butler's account of the crowd size. The matter was adjourned, with the trial continuing before a jury of four women and eight men.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Garda denies seeing colleague punch a man in the head in trial of soldier accused of assaulting five gardai. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- March 10 2013 Incident
- 2014-10-21 Publication
Why: He said Gda Keane went to arrest Gearoid and had to put him "on the ground" because he was resisting arrest and kicking and punching. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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