A garda had his nose broken by a colleague during a unit’s night out after-hours in Ryan’s on Dublin’s Lower Camden Street just under three years ago, a judge heard today.
The Circuit Civil Court was told that a group of gardaí from Lucan Garda station had arranged a get-together after work on March 28th, 2022, and there had been a romantic break-up between two of them, Garda Ronan O’Shaughnessy and Probation Garda Aisling Walsh, while the group was having drinks in Cassidy’s pub, also on Camden Street.
Judge Michael Walsh heard disputed claims alleging Garda Denis Lordan had pulled Garda Walsh’s ponytail at Cassidy’s and that Gda O’Shaughnessy and Gda Walsh, who are now living together and expecting a baby, temporarily broke up on the night.
The party had moved on to Ryan’s where Gda Lordan told the court Gda O’Shaughnessy had, completely unprovoked, punched him in the nose and broke it, leaving him covered in blood.
Gda Lordan is suing Gda O’Shaughnessy for €60,000 damages for assault arising from the incident and denied a suggestion by Gda O’Shaughnessy’s barrister John Nolan that he had attempted to blackmail Gda O’Shaughnessy by having a solicitor send him a written undertaking to sign whereby the matter would go no further on payment of €20,000 damages.
Gda O’Shaughnessy, in a defence to the €60,000 damages claim, alleged Gda Lordan had approached him at the bar in Ryan’s and, while towering over and looking down at him, had made comments about the break-up and tried to throttle him by grabbing and squeezing his throat.
He said he had lashed out in self-defence and had struck Gda Lordan on the nose. Gda O’Shaughnessy told the court that before the night had ended he and Gda Walsh had made up their differences before the incident in Ryan’s had taken place.
Gda Walsh, who had not attended the later session in Ryan’s, said in court she had drink taken when, in Cassidy’s earlier, she had probably overreacted to Gda O’Shaughnessy speaking to other girls, including an ex-girlfriend, and dancing.
Gda Lordan denied a suggestion by Mr Nolan, who appeared with Colm O’Cochlain Solicitors, that he “had the hots for Gda Walsh” and had been jealous of Gda O’Shaughnessy. He said he had intended to speak to Gda O’Shaughnessy on Gda Walsh’s behalf but had not done so on the night. The punch had simply come from nowhere.
[ Garda hospitalised with broken kneecap following drugs raid arrestOpens in new window ]
He told his barrister Mr Nolan he had not made a criminal complaint against Gda O’Shaughnessy because he did not want his colleagues to get into trouble for having been on licensed premises after hours. He had discussed the incident with Superintendent Paul Murphy who had told him that if a criminal complaint was made against Gda O’Shaughnessy, all of his colleagues who had been drinking after-hours would be disciplined.
Gda Lordan told his barrister Kevin Jolley he had agreed to have a word with Gda O’Shaughnessy about the relationship but had not interacted with him before the punch.
He told Mr Nolan he had taken part in two fundraising white collar boxing promotions, one of them after having had his broken nose straightened, under the title “Denis D Destroyer Lordan”, but in both bouts and in training for them had worn protective head gear.
Judge Walsh said he would deliver judgment in the case on Wednesday.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis