A JUDGE has criticised the lack of supervision at a barbecue in an Army barracks where a "free-for-all" developed in the early hours of the morning.
Judge Jacqueline Linnane said there had been no one in charge dealing with civilians leaving Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin, after the barbecue for more than 390 people ended.
"There was no one to prevent civilians accessing male and female accommodation following the event," she said.
Judge Linnane said a free-for-all had broken out at the barrack gates between a civilian family by the name of Broderick and soldiers.
The night orderly officer, Lieut now Capt Micheal Conneely, had to call out reinforcements.
She awarded military policeman Cpl Declan Kessie €8,500 damages against the Minister for Defence and Patrick Broderick, Cathedral View Walk, Dublin, for injuries he suffered following the barbecue on July 18th, 1998.
Cpl Kessie, Wheatfields Court, Clondalkin, Dublin, said that following the barbecue he had been investigating a number of incidents including assaults on Pte now Sgt Denise English and Pte Christine Brady allegedly by a member of the Broderick family in the female accommodation area.
The orderly officer, Lieut Conneely, had directed him to detain Patrick Broderick. Shortly afterwards another man, a brother of Patrick Broderick, told him it was he who had assaulted the two female soldiers.
He had then told Lieut Conneely the wrong man was being detained. He walked outside and heard Patrick Broderick shout he was going to kill him because he had accused him of rape in the female accommodation area.
Patrick Broderick had become very aggressive and set upon him, punching him in the back of the head, neck and shoulders.
Cpl Kessie said he believed the attack on him and his injuries had occurred as a consequence of Lieut Conneely having ordered that a group of civilians, including the Broderick family, be restrained from leaving the barracks until gardaí arrived.
When gardaí eventually arrived the Brodericks had already left, having made their own way out.
Judge Linnane said Sgt English and Pte Brady, who had been assaulted earlier and who had gone to the entrance gates of the barracks, had then been chased from there by a member of the Broderick family.
Judge Linnane said Patrick Broderick had climbed out over the gate but then climbed back in again. Another had climbed on to the roof of the guard room and started throwing slates from it.
Judge Linnane said the closing of the gate and not allowing the Brodericks to leave, even though it had been known at the time which of the Brodericks had been involved with Sgt English and Pte Brady, aggravated the situation.
More than 390 people had attended the barbecue and it was clear there was no one in overall charge or supervision.
It was reasonably foreseeable in the situation that an incident such as happened could occur.
She said it would have been a simple matter to have taken the names and addresses of the Brodericks and to have asked them to leave.