New Gardai (Brutal!)

Davaeo09

Hi folks I don't normally post this sort of thing online but some thing happened last week I kind if need to get out of my system because it's been eating away at me all week.

Last weekend, a very good friend of mine was out getting his other half (very heavily pregnant, due next week) some food from the chipper. So an adventure through John Street was on the cards. He strolled down from one of the less glamorous estates in town, although he himself not from town(Housing scheme or some thing). After getting to the Roma he started his trip back up town, bumping into a few people he knew near the top of John Street. These were people who lived close to his new home, and who were all a little merry, but were not causing any form of havoc, to them selves or others.

Now, normally John Street is known for it's thuggish violence, it's numberous pubs populating the street with drunk's. Now from my experience, allot of drunk people in one place generally leads to violence, land John Street has never been an exception. Weather it be, 2 men who have just had to much alcohol, or 2 women who have fallen out over some thing they won't even remember. Any way, to prevent this violence, and in an attempt to control it, Kilkenny has increased it's Gardaí patrol's on this side of town and in particular, John Street at closing time.

Now don't call me ignorant, please but is a Gaurds job not to ensure that peace is kept? To ensure people's safety? In a word, to protect.

Well in this case, that's not what happened.
After my friend had met these people he accompanied them for a period of about 5 minutes. That's when things turned ugly. Numerous Gardai arrived at the scene to defuse the unusual harmony of a drunken mass. They began battering 3 or 4 individuals, badly, bouncing them of the concrete below. This is when my friend, who is largely a lover not a fighter asked one of the guards to calm down. (ironic really) Next thing he knew, he was on the ground getting attacked with Batons and more than one pair of fists. He was dragged back to the station, where he was a further victim of violence and abuse. A few hours later his misses, (heavily pregnant as I mentioned earlier) arrives on at the station and demands he is released) Before he left the station the guards made him clean up the blood from his face, hands and clothes.

All was fine, he returned to life, sore, bruised, and demoralized. His mission to John Street had proved to be very eventful to say the least.
he was happy to forget it how ever, and move on... until.

Yesterday in a shopping center quiet close to the previously mentioned Estate, my friend was doing his groceries, low and behold it's the officer that insisted he cleaned himself up before he was released. When he was close enough to speak to my friend he asked "How are ya after last night" My friend who thought the guard was being genuinely interested, said "i'm sore, very ****ing sore now" pointing the the bruising around one of his eye's, to which the guard arrogantly smiled and replied "me too" while cracking his knuckles.


So, I am just wondering what everyone makes of this? I have never heard my friend tell a story with such a frown on his face. These guards are bullies, and had no right to do any of the things they did. If they had this sort of approach with the actual criminals we might have a more peaceful town, but instead we have Guards who feel the need to emasculate them selves through brutality and scaremongering.

MarkTheBaby

This is disgraceful. It's the kind of thing you expect to see on U.S. television or something.

If I was your friend I would definitely do something about this. Especially as he was sober and not causing any hassle by the sounds of it.

It's the guards who were in the wrong and he should seriously take action.

The_Morrigan

OP advise your mate to contact the Ombudsman.

http://www.gardaombudsman.ie/gsoc-garda-ombudsman-complaints.htm

MrThrifty

Can't help but wonder why it's you that is complaining on behalf of your friend. Concerns would be that we're hearing a second hand version of the story if you know what I mean. I notice some interesting phrases given you weren't even there like 'bouncing them off the concrete'! Also can't help but wonder if your friend had drink taken, given it's common to go for chips at the end of a drinking night. You'd think that if your friend was sober, he'd insist on making an official complaint at the station before leaving it. If necessary he might have been able to insist on getting breathalised etc.

I'm not trolling here, just stating what to me is the obvious. At the end of the day, a person with drink taken can often recall things differently to what actually happened. I accept that the Gardai are not all angels but the only way to prove this is to act quickly on these things rather than gossiping to others about them and not doing anything. Anybody I know who ended up like your friend apparently did would be furious, as well as their families (parents etc.) and you can rest assured something would have been done about it... unless there had been drink taken or the person was known to Gardai from previous incidents. If there is a genuine case, then tell your friend to do something about it and report ASAP as previous poster suggested to Ombudsman.

drunkmonkey

There's more to this than we know. The guards don't randomly walk into a buch of lads and start battering them. Not sure what they got up to before your friend arrived but it sounds like they upset someone.
His new neighbours are obviously on the wrong side of the law and that story about the Garda cracking his fist in the store sounds farcical.

If it's all genuine your friend should have went straight to the doctor, it's a bit late now.
Nobody takes an uncalled for beating and just walks away. As I said there's more of the story to find out.

Davaeo09

Sorry about slow replies, busy day to be had.

Some points I left out
My friend reckons the guards involved were not actually from Kilkenny. The weekend in discussion was last weekend; Cat Laughs, so it is possible these guards were in Kilkenny for the weekend only.
The part on the supermarket is dead true.
My friend just turned and left immediately after the guard made his smart comment.

as for the ombudsman do you not need money to file a complaint or some thing?

Also as for the stuff about why isn't my friend doing more, he's girlfriend is due to pop this Thursday so he has a few more important matters to tend to.

Oh and I am not complaining for my friend, I just wanted to know if any one had heard of any thing like this, or had even seen the event when it happened. Happened outside the Kilford. Would they have cameras outside?

The_Morrigan

Davaeo09 wrote: »

Sorry about slow replies, busy day to be had.

Some points I left out
My friend reckons the guards involved were not actually from Kilkenny. The weekend in discussion was last weekend; Cat Laughs, so it is possible these guards were in Kilkenny for the weekend only.
The part on the supermarket is dead true.
My friend just turned and left immediately after the guard made his smart comment.

as for the ombudsman do you not need money to file a complaint or some thing?

Also as for the stuff about why isn't my friend doing more, he's girlfriend is due to pop this Thursday so he has a few more important matters to tend to.

Oh and I am not complaining for my friend, I just wanted to know if any one had heard of any thing like this, or had even seen the event when it happened. Happened outside the Kilford. Would they have cameras outside?

Nope, Just follow the link I gave you and read the info on the website.
It is up to the Ombudsman to investigate the complaint further.

Angus MacGyver

Seems like a very strange story here.

The incident in the shopping centre which you say happened yesterday would be by my reckoning Friday.
The Garda said to him "How are you after last night"
which would sugest that the incident happened on thursday night, thats more than few days since the weekend

Your friend reckons that the Garda was not from kilkenny but yet he meets him in a shopping centre in kilkenny

Im not sure which estate you are talking about but id say the nearest estate to the Roma is about 15 - 20 walk, Surely the food would be cold by the time he got home seeing as he stopped to talk to these people for 5 mins. Why walk such a distance to a chipper if he had no alcohol consumed (assuming he drives)

Considering Kilkenny has cctv cameras now, im sure the gardaí wouldnt draw battons and start beating people for no reason knowing full well there are cameras in the area.

Finallly, Nobody who took a beating like you describe would be happy to forget about it and move on.

No smoke without fire

PhilipMarlowe

If more is to come of this, then it shouldnt be discussed here. Locked.