Courts / Westmeath / Report

Former LOI player awarded €505k in damages after being assaulted by gardai

Date
2023-05-10

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Athlone

Summary

A High Court jury awarded €505,000 in damages to Michael Sheehan, a 62-year-old former League of Ireland and GAA player, after finding he was assaulted by An Garda Síochána. The civil action, heard before Mr Justice Alexander Owens, alleged that Sheehan was pepper-sprayed and manhandled during an arrest in Athlone on June 3, 2012. The defendants, including the Garda Commissioner and the State, denied the claims of assault and false imprisonment, arguing the response was proportionate to a public order incident. The jury found that gardai used excessive and unreasonable force, assaulting Sheehan in a police vehicle and at Athlone Garda barracks. Sheehan was subsequently acquitted of Public Order Act offences in a separate criminal proceeding. The court awarded Sheehan his legal costs against the State. Mr Justice Owens placed a stay on the damages order pending a potential appeal to the Court of Appeal, conditional on the defendants immediately paying €75,000 to the applicant. The judge also exempted the jury from further duty for ten years.