Former garda jailed for one year over assaults on teenager

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

Lorcan Murphy was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 3 February 2026 to three years in prison, with the final two years suspended for two years on strict conditions. He was jailed for one year.

Murphy pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm. A jury unanimously convicted him following a trial in July 2025. The assaults took place on 1 June 2021 on Essex Street, Dublin, and at Pearse Street Garda Station, when the complainant was 17.

Judge Pauline Codd said Murphy used unnecessary and disproportionate force against the handcuffed teenager, who was lying face down and posed no threat. The teenager suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed, from which he fully recovered. Murphy also assaulted him at the station by pulling his hair and applying pressure to his chest.

Murphy had claimed the leg sweep was a legitimate containment technique he was trained to use and that the chest rub at the station was a first aid technique. The jury rejected those claims. Judge Codd said the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted that Murphy had acted recklessly rather than intentionally and was justified in initially arresting the teenager.

The judge accepted that Murphy was remorseful and had taken steps to ensure the teenager received medical attention. She made no order for an offered €10,000 in compensation, saying it would not benefit the injured party at the time because of his addiction issues. The court heard that he did not wish to engage in restorative justice.