Jury finds superintendent used reasonable force in baton strike on ex-garda

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

A High Court jury found that Detective Superintendent Rory Sheriff used reasonable force when arresting former garda John Bowe after a high-speed chase in rural Wexford in 2014. The majority verdict followed four-and-a-half hours of deliberation at the second civil trial; an earlier jury had not reached a conclusion.

Bowe’s civil action alleged Sheriff wrongfully struck him over the head with a baton and that he suffered injuries, including functional neurological disorder. Sheriff accepted striking Bowe but said the force was justified. The jury’s finding resolved the force question in Sheriff’s favour.

The judge awarded costs to Sheriff’s legal team for both trials, but stayed the award pending any appeal.