Following a conviction for violence and attempted obstruction of justice, a garda sergeant was mandated to perform eighty hours of community service, reports RTE.
After entering a not guilty plea during an earlier court session, Sergeant William Doyle was found guilty on the two offences at Waterford District Court. He might now be fired by An Garda SÃochána.
In a case brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in response to an inquiry by the Garda SÃochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), the court previously heard testimony indicating that on the morning of March 9, 2022, there was a “commotion” in a room at Waterford Garda Station and that someone was slapped while a prisoner facing assault charges was being held, reports RTE.
Additional evidence showed that when other gardaà returned to the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) room, Sgt. Doyle of Waterford Garda Station was observed standing over the prisoner with his hands on the prisoner’s shoulders.
The prisoner admitted right away that the sergeant had beaten him.
When the prisoner entered the AFIS room, Sgt. Doyle was seated nearby and inquired of the prisoner whether he was the one “who assaulted his girlfriend”. Judge John O’Leary stated in court today that after evaluating the evidence, the prisoner got “irrationally agitated” towards Sgt. Doyle, the defendant, as a result of this, reports RTE.
As they emerged from the room, the prisoner reported hearing a “commotion” and said it was the defendant “assaulting him with several blows”.
Detective Garda Seán Lane noticed the defendant had two hands on the prisoner’s “shoulder area” when the other gardaà returned to the room.
Police Rachel Pratt reported seeing the sergeant’s hands on the prisoner’s shoulders and hearing what she characterised as a “slap,” or “a skin on skin sound.” The prisoner was observed by the sergeant “pinning him back with his arm on his [the prisoner’s] neck,” the court was informed, reports RTE.
The judge stated that Garda Pratt, a probationary garda at the time, asked her superior officer, Sgt Doyle, what information to include in the station detention record because she was “confused” about what to do.
She stated in court earlier this year that the sergeant advised her not to bring up the incident and advised her to claim the prisoner was being restrained, reports RTE.
Although Garda Pratt documented a modified version of events later, he placed a note to that effect in the detention record.
In June, the sergeant told the court that he had informed Garda Pratt that he could not put words in her mouth and that the incident needed to be documented. He denied pressing Pratt, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
