A GARDA who made a false complaint to colleagues that she had been attacked in a taxi by the driver and two other men has been ordered to perform 240 hours of community service in lieu of 18 months in prison.
The court has heard she now faces Garda disciplinary proceedings which could include dismissal from the force. She had been suspended from duty pending the outcome of yesterday’s court hearing.
Niamh O’Connor (25), originally from Wexford and serving in Bray, Co Wicklow, at the time of the offence, had previously been disciplined by the Garda in 2007 for dialling 999 and falsely claiming she had been beaten up.
Garda O’Connor, with addresses at Grange Lower, Rathnure, Enniscorthy, and College Park Avenue, Ballinteer, had been in the force for 3½ years and was suspended from her duties earlier this year.
She had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making a false statement at Donnybrook Garda station on December 28th, 2007, intending to show that an offence had been committed.
Judge Katherine Delahunt told O’Connor that if a specific individual had been identified by her in her allegations, she would have served a custodial sentence.
She noted that eight gardaí had been engaged in investigating the alleged attack before O’Connor admitted it never happened. She took into account references handed in on behalf of O’Connor, a member of a Wexford All-Ireland-winning camogie team.
Yesterday’s brief sentencing hearing followed detailed evidence in court earlier this year.
Sgt Ronan Muldoon told Seán Guerin, prosecuting, that O’Connor left a Harcourt Street nightclub at about 3am after a night out and hailed a taxi alone.
She rang Bray Garda station at 4am in a distressed state and when gardaí attended at her Dublin address, she alleged she had been attacked in a taxi by three men on her way home. She showed them torn clothes and insisted on accompanying gardaí to Kevin Street Garda station, but once there said she did not wish to make a statement.
When contacted next day by Donnybrook gardaí, she told them she wished to “forget about it”, but later agreed to make a statement.
Sgt Muldoon said O’Connor made a statement describing how she had hailed a taxi. The driver asked her whether it was all right if he dropped a passenger in Rathmines first. She said she fell asleep and when she awoke, the car was stopped with the male passenger still in the front. Garda O’Connor said a third man climbed out of the car boot and she was attacked, but fought her way out of the car.
Sgt Muldoon said it was explained to O’Connor that if there was a prosecution there would have to be full disclosure of her previous false complaint. She then admitted the story was false.
O’Connor told gardaí the taxi driver “threw her a dirty look” after braking suddenly and she wanted to “pay him back”.
She told them: “When I have a lot of drinks something inside me snaps” and said the situation had “snowballed out of control and I could not stop it”.
Remy Farrell, defending, said O’Connor had already been punished to a significant degree by the “loss of her career and regard”.