Two non-commissioned officers in the Defence Forces who were wrongly branded as “untrustworthy” while training foreign forces abroad have had their reputations publicly vindicated in an Irish court of law.
Company Quartermaster Sgt William Fallon and acting Regimental Sgt Maj Lloyd Murphy took defamation proceedings against the Minister for Defence, Ireland and the Attorney General to have their good names restored.
Barrister Kevin D’Arcy, who appeared with O’Regan Little Solicitors for the two soldiers, told Judge Pauline Codd in the Circuit Civil Court on Tuesday that their €75,000 defamation claims had been settled and could be struck out.
Counsel Tom Hogan, who appeared with barrister Mark Finan for the Minister, told the judge he had been instructed by the Chief State Solicitor to read out a statement to the court.
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In it, the defendants stated they recognised and appreciated that Fallon and Murphy “at all times acted in accordance with their training and the Irish Defence Forces’ military culture and values during their time while serving in Mali in 2020″.
Fallon, of Kellybrook, Knockcrockery, Co Roscommon, and Murphy, of Mullingar Road, Ballymahon, Co Longford, stated in their claims that they had been “paraded” while on duty with colleagues and foreign military personnel from a number of EU countries, where they had been training Mali forces, and had been publicly addressed and described as “untrustworthy”.
Fallon, an expert in security and infantry skills including sniping and reconnaissance, and Murphy, with expertise in security and artillery, alleged that their superiors had failed to vindicate their good names despite numerous attempts to have them do so.
They claimed to have been told that they could face serious disciplinary repercussions and potential charges.
D’Arcy told the court that his clients had been described as untrustworthy and had fought to rectify that position. He said both cases, under a settlement agreement, could be struck out, with one set of legal costs to be taxed in default of agreement.
The judge struck out both cases following the public reading of the defendants’ statement.
