AN AWARD of £452,000 has been made to a Dublin man who was the victim of a crime in 1984 for which two Tallaght men were jailed but who later had their convictions quashed.
The award has been made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal to Mr Eamonn Gavin who mounted a 12-year legal and protest case around the case.
The tribunal reached its conclusion after the High Court directed it last February to reconsider an earlier award of £100,000 made to Mr Gavin. He had claimed the earlier award was too low and that the tribunal had not given its reasons for the decision.
The claim arose from a crime off which Mr Gavin was the victim in February 1984. He tried to prevent his car being stolen by a number of youths outside his home in Firhouse, Dublin, and was carried on the car's bonnet for a considerable distance. He was also severely bean by the men.
In May 1985, two Tallaght teenagers, Mr Joseph Meleady and Mr Joseph Grogan, were sentenced to five years for causing actual bodily, farm to Mr Gavin and causing malicious damage to his car. On appeal a retrial was ordered, but they were both again convicted and the same sentences imposed.
Mr Grogan completed his five-year sentence and Mr Meleady served all but the last three weeks of his. In March last year, both men had their convictions quashed in the Court of Criminal Appeal, partly on the grounds that Mr Gavin could have seen a photo of one of the accused men before identifying them. They were refused a certificate to seek State compensation, which they are currently appealing.
Mr Gavin lodged a claim with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal for injuries received in the crime and in 1985 was awarded £2,035 to cover all aspects of his claim, which he accepted.
However, there followed a number of unnerving incidents, including attacks on Mr Gavin's cars and threats, abuse and obscene letters. He brought new applications to the tribunal, claiming mental injuries and stress.
In November 1993, the tribunal, awarded him £100,000. He appealed this sum but 11 months later was again awarded £100,000. He then went on hunger strike outside the Department of Justice, which he ended 30 days later after being given leave to seek a judicial review of the award.
Last night Mr Gavin said: "£20 million wouldn't make up for the last 12 years. I am grateful to the very very few people who supported me." He added: "It's very sad that a victim of crime had to fight such a long, hard, lonely battle for his rights."