A garda accused of assault causing harm to a man detained at Tallaght Garda station has said he cannot explain how the prisoner ended up with one swollen and one black eye.
Garda Darragh Jennings said in cross-examination by Mr Seán Gillane, prosecuting, yesterday, the second day of his trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, that he had not noticed any bruising to the man's face or eyes when he arrested him early on May 5th, 2002.
Garda Jennings said he was aware evidence had been given both by the alleged victim and his father that one of his eyes was black and the other swollen when he left the Garda station later that morning after several hours in custody.
"I am 100 per cent clear on the fact that I never hit him," Garda Jennings told Mr Gillane. He said he was also sure that no other officer had hit him or used batons on him while he was there.
He agreed with Mr Gillane that he had not observed any bruising on the man's face when he arrested him at about 3:30 a.m. on Belgard Road, Tallaght.
Sgt Martin Woods and Garda Darragh Jennings have both denied assault causing harm to Mr Christopher Boyle (22), Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, at Tallaght Garda station.
Garda Jennings, who told his counsel, Mr John O'Donnell SC, in direct evidence that he had to use "reasonable and controlled force" in his attempts to arrest Mr Boyle for a public order offence, said it was not uncommon to use force against a prisoner if he was resisting arrest.
Garda Jennings said Mr Boyle had had to be restrained in the Garda van in which he was brought to the station because he was being violent and aggressive.
He did not know why an earlier witness had told the court he had seen Garda Jennings hit Mr Boyle on the face or why another testified to seeing several gardaí giving "a few digs" to a man of Mr Boyle's description at the station that night.
One of the two witnesses who had been detained for a public order offence told Mr Gillane that he saw Garda Jennings hit a "fierce" blow to Mr Boyle's face.
The witness said he was unsure whether Mr Boyle was handcuffed at the time.
A second witness, who had been detained at the station that night in relation to what he called "a bit of a row with my wife", said that, as he was being taken from his cell to another location within the station, he saw three or four gardaí giving somebody "a few digs". The hearing continues.