A Dublin garda who was head-butted when he went to arrest a man alleged to be stealing baseball caps from U2 fans was awarded £16,500 compensation at the High Court yesterday.
Another garda was awarded £17,500 for injuries received while dealing with a prisoner in a cell on Christmas Day, while a garda who was struck with a steel bar during a row in Tralee was awarded £7,500 compensation.
Mr Justice Budd dealt with a number of garda compensation claims and made awards ranging up to £17,500.
In one case, Garda Joan Wilson said she worries about losing her nerve in a serious conflict situation as a result of an attack on her during a row between settled travellers in Tralee when she was struck from behind by a six-foot steel bar.
Garda Wilson, who is currently serving with the UN peace force in Famagusta, Cyprus, said her assailant had since received a sixmonth sentence for the assault.
When taken to Tralee General Hopsital, another traveller came in and started "smashing up the hospital", she said. She became ill with fear.
Mr Justice Budd said he had no doubt but that Garda Wilson was selected for onerous duty in Cyprus on the basis of her courage and ability to cope. In assessing damages he took into account not only the physical attack upon her during the traveller riot but also the further fearful incident in the hospital. He awarded £7,500.
Sgt Peter Sheridan said he was head-butted by a man said to be stealing baseball caps from fans leaving a U2 concert at the RDS in August 1993. The man had eight or nine stolen caps in his jacket and subsequently received a six-month sentence for the attack.
He received face, nose, shoulder and wrist injuries when he fell to the ground and needed an operation on one of his nasal passages as a result of the attack. The judge awarded £16,500.
A sum of £17,500 was awarded to a Limerick garda who sustained shoulder and hand injuries when he and a number of his colleagues tried to get a berserk man into a cell in Henry Street Garda station on Christmas Day, 1993.
Garda Stephen Cawley said the man who had earlier given trouble to other gardai in the street outside "went mad" when they tried to get him into a cell. "I never experienced anything like it," he said.
Garda Larry Clare, who said he was attacked and left almost for dead in a ditch near The Naul, Co Dublin received £10,000 compensation.
Garda Clare said after he stopped three occupants of a van, they attacked, kicked and punched him and jerked his head backwards with his helmet still on. He thought he would choke and feared for his life.
The court heard that Garda Sean O'Reardon, who with his colleague tried to arrest a man selling illegal fireworks, was twice attacked by a group of illegal street vendors who unleashed a fusillade of "crackers" and "rockets" at the two men.
Garda O'Reardon said his radio was torn from him as he tried to summon help while on patrol in Henry Street, Dublin on October 28th, 1994. He received a blow or kick from one of the crowd in his right hand resulting in a bone fracture.
Mr Justice Budd said the horrifying aspect of that case was the speed with which a mob of illegal street vendors attacked, kicked and punched the gardai, not once but twice, setting off rockets and throwing bangers at them as they attempted to make an arrest.
He awarded Garda O'Reardon £9,500 compensation for his hand injury.