An anti-vice garda "looked like the Incredible Hulk" after being beaten up by English rugby players looking for prostitutes, a Dublin court has been told.
One of the four Cumbria men charged, Mr Warren Stainton (20) of The Willows, Oriel, Egermont, was acquitted yesterday of involvement in the incident, which led to two gardai receiving hospital treatment.
Sgt Gerard Kearney told Dublin District Court that the sight of Garda Chris Brosnan after the attack reminded him of the television character the Incredible Hulk. "He was black and blue, his face was swollen and his shirt had pieces ripped off, the left sleeve was missing," Sgt Kearney said.
The court was told that Garda Brosnan and Garda John Brien were in plain clothes in an unmarked patrol car at Percy Place, near the Grand Canal, on August 16th, where they told a prostitute to leave the area.
A group of rugby players from Egermont Rangers, who had won a friendly match in Dublin that day, approached the prostitute and asked her "for business". Then the gardai identified themselves.
One of the men punched Garda Brosnan in the face without warning through the open car window and the garda was then kicked and punched to the ground by two men when he got out.
Garda Brien went to his assistance but was wrestled to the ground by two other men, who also repeatedly punched and kicked him.
The attack ceased and he gave chase to two men, one of whom turned around and said: "He's on his own, let's kill the wanker."
The garda then wrestled with a man dressed in an orange T-shirt to stop himself being pushed into the canal.
Garda Brien, who had managed to radio for assistance, collapsed twice while chasing another man. Garda Brosnan said he still had problems opening his mouth because his jaw had been "kicked out of place", and added: "It is hard to describe the ferocity of what happened".
The court was told the four men were arrested by gardai in patrol cars at three separate locations after the attack. Mr Stainton was identified by both the injured gardai as the man dressed in a yellow T-shirt who had attacked Garda Brosnan.
Mr Stainton, who won a manof-the-match award that day, said he was on a trip to Dublin with a group of 40 members of the rugby club, all of whom had been told not to get involved in trouble.
He saw an incident involving other members of the group but had walked away and was arrested only because another man fleeing the scene had called his name.
Judge Terence Finn said the prosecution case involved uncorroborated visual evidence consisting of nothing further than descriptions of apparel and body build.
He also said there was an "interval of time, distance and space" between the attack and the arrest of Mr Stainton. The judge therefore dismissed the charges of two counts of assault, drunk and disorderly behaviour and breach of the peace against the defendant.
The court was told the three co-accused had opted for a separate hearing, which would take place on October 6th.