A MEATH bus driver has been acquitted of kicking a garda in the testicles and knocking him unconscious during a traffic stop.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Patrick Fitzpatrick (63) denied assaulting Sgt Neil Crowley and claimed he was the one who was attacked during incident.
Mr Fitzpatrick of Drumree, Dunshaughlin, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Sgt Crowley at Blackhall Place, Dublin 8, on July 7th, 2007.
Sgt Crowley claimed he was repeatedly kicked in the groin and had to take three months off work following the incident.
Mr Fitzpatrick argued that he was the one assaulted by Sgt Crowley and that he was trying to hand over his driver’s licence when the garda fell out of the bus.
The jury of seven men and five women returned a not guilty verdict following just over half an hour of deliberations on day five of the trial.
Mr Fitzpatrick wept when the judgment was read out before giving the jury a thumbs up and saying: “Thank you very much, thank you.”
Judge Desmond Hogan thanked the jurors for their attention during the trial and described jury service as a “cornerstone of our legal system”.
The jury heard from Sgt Brian Lyons that during interview Mr Fitzpatrick said Sgt Crowley “assaulted me big time”. He said he was beaten around the shoulders and only lifted his hands to protect himself. Mr Fitzpatrick said in interview he never left the driver’s seat during the incident and asked how he could have kicked Sgt Crowley when the steering wheel was in the way.