A garda is now facing prison after admitting to assaulting a teenage boy on a public street, the Irish Mirror has learned, reports The Mirror.
Garda Eoghan McGowan entered a guilty plea for the assault of the male teenager in central Dublin, an incident that took place just over two years ago.
According to court documents, Garda McGowan’s address was listed as Store Street station in the north inner city. At Dublin District Court on Tuesday, Judge Michele Finan sentenced him to four months in prison, suspending half of the sentence, reports The Mirror.
However, the garda, whose date of birth was not disclosed in the documents, filed an appeal right away.
He has been granted release while awaiting the appeal, which is expected to be heard next month in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, reports The Mirror.
The same incident, which occurred in January 2023 on Granby Place near the Rotunda Hospital, has also led to charges against two other gardai. The victim, who was 17 at the time, is now an adult.
One officer is charged with assaulting the teenager, while the other is accused of falsely imprisoning him, reports The Mirror.
Their cases are due to be tried in Dublin District Court in July. Garda McGowan’s case was heard separately last week, where he pleaded guilty to one count of assault.
The matter was adjourned to Tuesday for sentencing, where the four-month prison term was handed down. All three officers were charged following an inquiry by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, now known as Fiosrú, reports The Mirror.
Gardaí have chosen not to comment on the situation.
A Garda spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána does not comment on matters which remain before the courts. An Garda Síochana does not comment on internal discipline,” reports The Mirror.
It is believed that Garda McGowan is currently suspended from duty.
He is also expected to pay €5,000 in compensation to the teenager as part of the sentencing, reports The Mirror.
The victim, who had just visited the Rotunda Hospital where his partner was in labour, was stopped by Garda McGowan and two other officers.
The assault was captured on CCTV, and some of the footage was shown to Judge Finan during the sentencing hearing, reports The Mirror.
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