Common Garda advice these days, dont follow it up, dont press charges

angelfire9 · 30-08-2011 01:49AM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Are you honestly saying that having members of your family in the police force doesn't get you preferential treatment? Come on, this is Ireland, pull the other one.

So what if I haven't been in a witness box? This advise the Garda give isnt about concern for the victim, its often about their own laziness. They often spiel forward such sh!te as "nothing will come of it, no point, it will be a lot of hassle" rather than actually advising you on what, if it does get to court, will happen. I've heard this crap, friends have heard that crap, so have many many others, a lot of the time they just dont want to hear, and my advice is if you get a Garda like that, make a fuss.

How on earth do you think I got preferential treatment?????
My house was broken in to I was on my own with my then 18 month old and the burglar choked me and left me for dead

I waited 2 hours for the Gardai to arrive because of a fatal RTA in town that night

I had to wait 3 months for the DPP's decision to prosecute and 2 years for it to be heard in court (after numerous adjournments)

When I went up into the witness box I was 100% on my own

Having polis in court with me helped me only in so far as it stopped me from loosing my nerve while waiting outside the court to be called to give evidence
It didn't stop the defence solicitor from portraying me as a cop wannabe who tried to assault the poor innocent lad who had come into my house at 3am "looking for directions"
It didn't make much of a difference when I had to look at the Garda photograph's of my injuries (I'd forgotten just how bad my neck had been)
It didn't help when I had to describe coming round and not being able to find the baby (she'd hidden in a closet having witnessed the whole thing)
Other than moral support which I got in spades from my friends (some of which were cops) being a cops wife or daughter made sweet f a of a difference really!!!!!

Wolfe Tone · 30-08-2011 01:49AM

Muas Tenek wrote: »

I agree with you that brutality breeds brutality and that the law should not use that as a weapon...... but let me tell you of my last encounter with Lugs.
I happened to be passing the back entrance of Tara Street fire station as the fire engine and ambulance were leaving to attend to a person who had fallen into the Liffey, some foolish teenagers decided that this was a good time to have a dance in front of the fire engine and delay the response - Lugs also happened to be passing at the time - and in his time honoured tradition grabbed a couple of the guys by their lugs (where did that nickname come from) and pulled them out of the way. He berated them for delaying the firemen who where on their way to save a life and sent them on their way (no major drama, no court cases) but I was left with the impression that some guys had learned a valuable lesson.
Take from this what you will but I believe in the short, sharp, shock method of education.

That doesn't sound too bad, bit worse when he misidentifies someone and lays into them though, as happened my father while he was walking home from the cinema one time, unluckily for my Da he was wearing the same top as the guy Lugs was looking for.

Wolfe Tone · 30-08-2011 01:53AM

hondasam wrote: »

I have to agree with you here WT, they look after their own.

It's all about who you know but it's the same for most professions.

Indeed, its the same with everything.

Depends on where you live too, live in a posh estate and scumbags wander in the Gardaí will sort it, live in a more deprived area and you are left to fend for yourself... Its a shame, some of it is underfunding etc, but some do treat you differently based on your address ime.

angelfire9 · 30-08-2011 01:55AM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Indeed, its the same with everything.

Depends on where you live too, live in a posh estate and scumbags wander in the Gardaí will sort it, live in a more deprived area and you are left to fend for yourself... Its a shame, some of it is underfunding etc, but some do treat you differently based on your address ime.

Pray tell what preferential treatment did I recieve then?
Based on my posh house and garda "connections"? :rolleyes:

Wolfe Tone · 30-08-2011 01:58AM

angelfire9 wrote: »

Pray tell what preferential treatment did I recieve then?
Based on my posh house and garda "connections"? :rolleyes:

For some reason I suspect that you would have a more receptive audience to a complaint if you had one, with your connections, then say a person living in a rough area with no connections whatsoever, thats just the way it is.

Dont see why you wrote "connections" you said that loads of the Gardaí where behind you, your husband is a cop and so is your Dad, thats pretty good connections right there!

hondasam · 30-08-2011 02:00AM

angelfire9 wrote: »

Pray tell what preferential treatment did I recieve then?
Based on my posh house and garda "connections"? :rolleyes:

TBF you did emphasise your father is a guard and you are married to a guard, you grew up with guards,
They were at your communion and will attend your funeral. All you talked about was your connections.
This sounds harsh and I'm sorry but it's how it came across to me.

angelfire9 · 30-08-2011 02:00AM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

For some reason I suspect that you would have a more receptive audience to a complaint if you had one, with your connections, then say a person living in a rough area with no connections whatsoever, thats just the way it is.

There is none so blind as those that will not see! :rolleyes:

I was left for dead by a burglar

If it happened to a little old lady from Moyross the result would have been the very same

Please come down off your high horse the lack of oxygen must be affecting you! :rolleyes:

Wolfe Tone · 30-08-2011 02:02AM

This thread needs Dionysus, I've forgotten how to refer to individual members of AGS again.

angelfire9 · 30-08-2011 02:03AM

hondasam wrote: »

TBF you did emphasise your father is a guard and you are married to a guard, you grew up with guards,
They were at your communion and will attend your funeral. All you talked about was your connections.
This sounds harsh and I'm sorry but it's how it came across to me.

I have connections
I have no problem with that
But as the victim of a crime that makes ZERO difference

I still had a 2 hour wait for a car to arrive on scene
And any case where the victim is a woman being left for dead on her own in a house with a child will result in a prosecution
That's not preferential treatment that's the law

Non Fatal Offences Against the Person's Act 1997!

Muas Tenek · 30-08-2011 02:06AM

@ Angelfire
I really do understand what you went through and sympathise hugely with your dilemma - Major KUDOS to you for going through with it.

@ Wolfe Tone I can not comment on what you have said as I did not witness it personally - having said that I can believe that there may have been a misunderstanding as the person we are talking about has since left this life and cannot respond, I accept that personal recollections are a first level interaction and I do not have the authority to make any comment on this situation other than to comment that the whole point of this thread is to point out that society no longer protects the innocent.
I hope that I make clear that I do not in any way condone violence or the persecution of the innocent, I merely lament that society has very few heroes these days (does that make sense?)

Wolfe Tone · 30-08-2011 02:08AM

Muas Tenek wrote: »

@ Angelfire
I really do understand what you went through and sympathise hugely with your dilemma - Major KUDOS to you for going through with it.

@ Wolfe Tone I can not comment on what you have said as I did not witness it personally - having said that I can believe that there may have been a misunderstanding as the person we are talking about has since left this life and cannot respond, I accept that personal recollections are a first level interaction and I do not have the authority to make any comment on this situation other than to comment that the whole point of this thread is to point out that society no longer protects the innocent.
I hope that I make clear that I do not in any way condone violence or the persecution of the innocent, I merely lament that society has very few heroes these days (does that make sense?)

Yeah that makes sense, the incident with my father took place in the 70s in Dublin, before my time.

hondasam · 30-08-2011 02:09AM

angelfire9 wrote: »

I have connections
I have no problem with that
But as the victim of a crime that makes ZERO difference

I still had a 2 hour wait for a car to arrive on scene
And any case where the victim is a woman being left for dead on her own in a house with a child will result in a prosecution
That's not preferential treatment that's the law

Non Fatal Offences Against the Person's Act 1997!

I agree with you but it matters who you are and where you are from and peoples connections always carry some weight.
There is no point in kidding ourselves in thinking or saying otherwise.
I'm not bashing AGS, I'm on the same side as them but money talks and bull**** walks.

SpatialPlanning · 30-08-2011 02:16AM

angelfire9 wrote: »

Pray tell what preferential treatment did I recieve then?
Based on my posh house and garda "connections"? :rolleyes:

What happened to you was terrible and I really do feel awful for you!

That being said, let's not turn around what is being said here - that knowing/being related to a cop will get you preferential treatment. That is a fact. You have posted one, admittedly horrible, story to argue against this. I personally know at least a dozen people who have gotten off because of who they are related to/who they know.

I don't really want to get dragged into this type of debate. The cops have a tough enough job as it is and regardless of how they act they will always be the subject of controversy. In relation to the original post, one would have to trust the good judgement of the guards in this situation. They have, no doubt, seen countless cases similar to this and are best-placed to judge. Calling it laziness or indifference is a misleading, uninformed and uneducated observation. In an ideal world, every act of criminality would be punished accordingly, however, who has ever claimed this to be an ideal world?!

Muas Tenek · 30-08-2011 02:16AM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

This thread needs Dionysus, I've forgotten how to refer to individual members of AGS again.

Being a bit anal here but don't you mean Damocles

amacachi · 30-08-2011 02:17AM

The Gardai have no chance tbh. Sure apparently here in Dundalk the CCTV only records after a report of an incident comes in.

Muas Tenek · 30-08-2011 02:18AM

Muas Tenek wrote: »

Being a bit anal here but don't you mean Damocles

Nope you're right - Bring me more wine

Lightens mood slightly

seanybiker · 30-08-2011 02:26AM

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

What happened to you was terrible and I really do feel awful for you!

That being said, let's not turn around what is being said here - that knowing/being related to a cop will get you preferential treatment. That is a fact. You have posted one, admittedly horrible, story to argue against this. I personally know at least a dozen people who have gotten off because of who they are related to/who they know.

I'm sure some do help get people off. Didn't work for me but the night I was arrested I asked the cop not to give me preferential treatment because I just don't agree with things like that. If people can't do the time then don't do the crime.

Laisurg · 30-08-2011 02:30AM

A similar thing happened to me when i was younger and the guards didn't give a ****é really but to be honest following these things up will almost never lead to anything, someone under 18 is very unlikely to end up in Patricks even for a fairly serious assault.
They would have to have been in trouble with the guards a fair few times before for anything to actually happen to them.

boneless · 30-08-2011 02:36AM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

This thread needs Dionysus, I've forgotten how to refer to individual members of AGS again.

Or even Diogenes... I lost the way for want of light...

Kojak · 30-08-2011 02:40AM

boneless wrote: »

Or even Diogenes... I lost the way for want of light...

What has mustard got to do with anything??

charlemont · 30-08-2011 02:41AM

Knackers robbed my Dads house before and I had all the evidence I needed as it was done deliberately against me as I helped a friend of mine get away from one of them, He was a modern day slave, Long story. Now they were too cute to go assaulting me so they tried the softly softly approach even offering me money as if id sell out a friend but I wouldn't tell them where he was so the dicks robbed my house, The Garda that came up for the report is actually a sound man, Iv good time for him but he didn't seem any bit interested when I said I knew who done it, So fu*k this I thought, I got them back where its hurts and they never copped on it was me. I put a nice hole in their pockets.

The court service is taking the p*ss here so that's probably why the Gardaí told ye not to bother pressing charges. That type of juvenile assault case could keep being adjourned every few months etc, It could be a right headache, Its unfortunate but its true.

SpatialPlanning · 30-08-2011 02:45AM

seanybiker wrote: »

I'm sure some do help get people off. Didn't work for me but the night I was arrested I asked the cop not to give me preferential treatment because I just don't agree with things like that. If people can't do the time then don't do the crime.

Amateur.

seanybiker · 30-08-2011 02:48AM

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

Amateur.

Haha I know. 3 years off the road for me troubles. Seriously though I'd feel a right bollox going around on me bike and people knowing I done wrong but only got off with it because some guard offered to help me out when he found out who I was.
Don't get me wrong, I still get the odd feeling of, jaysus I want me fecking license back so I can go for a spin on the bike but sure feck it. Tis only a few years. Almost finished anyways lol

Common Garda advice these days, dont follow it up, dont press charges

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