Garda jailed for assaulting teenager after lawful arrest

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

Garda Lorcan Murphy was sentenced to three years in prison, with the final two years suspended for two years on strict conditions, for assaulting a teenager in Dublin. Judge Pauline Codd imposed the sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 3 February 2026.

Murphy pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm. A jury found him guilty on both counts after a trial in July 2025. The assaults on the then 17-year-old took place on Essex Street and at Pearse Street Garda Station on 1 June 2021.

The judge said Murphy used unnecessary and disproportionate force against the handcuffed teenager, who suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed but recovered. At the station, Murphy pulled the teenager’s hair and applied pressure to his chest.

During the trial, Murphy said the leg sweep was a legitimate containment technique he had been trained to use and that the chest rub was a first-aid technique. The jury rejected his account. Judge Codd noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted Murphy had acted recklessly rather than intentionally and had been justified in making the initial arrest.

The judge accepted that Murphy was extremely remorseful and had written a letter of apology. The court made no order for the proposed €10,000 compensation because the judge said it would not benefit the injured party at that time due to his addiction issues. The teenager did not want to engage in restorative justice or provide a victim impact statement.