Fergal O’Rourke wins €13,000 assault damages

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Fergal O’Rourke was awarded €13,000 by a High Court jury in an assault case reported on 6 May 2016. The case arose from his arrest at a Garda checkpoint in Ballymore, Co Westmeath.

The jury found Garda Darren Murphy had assaulted O’Rourke, negligently caused him injury and intentionally caused emotional distress, while finding Garda Joanne McGhee had not assaulted or injured him. The award followed O’Rourke’s claim that he was kicked, punched and grabbed by the throat during the arrest; those claims were denied.

O’Rourke had sued the State and the Garda Commissioner.