A Dublin couple have told an assault trial they were "horrified" to see a garda punching and kicking a youth on a street corner.
Patrick and Pauline Bisset, who run a DIY shop in Malahide, said the attack was unprovoked and the youth appeared to have his hands handcuffed behind his back.
"I never thought that kind of thing could happen in Ireland," Mrs Bissett told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
Both witnesses said they saw the assault from the upstairs window of their home. "It was out of the blue, I was shocked," Mr Bissett said.
Garda Niall Colleran and Garda Brendan O'Grady, both from Malahide Garda station, have pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Eugene and Eric Donnelly at Strand Road, Malahide, on June 29th, 1998.
Mr Bissett told prosecuting counsel Mr Brendan Grehan that at about 2 a.m. that night he was looking out the window of his house and saw the garda hit a youth in the face.
Mr Bissett said he banged on the window and shouted at the garda to stop.
He saw the youth trying to escape before being pushed against the bonnet of a Garda car. He said another youth was held inside the car by a second garda. After the first youth was assaulted, the other tried to get out of the car but the second garda held him in place with his foot.
Cross-examined by defence counsel Mr Patrick Gageby SC, he agreed he heard a lot of bad language from the youths and the gardai.
He denied Mr Gageby's suggestion that he was unsure of what happened or that his view of the scene was obscured by one of the gardai.
Mrs Bissett told Mr Grehan she rang Malahide Garda station and made a complaint to Garda Padraig Gray on the date in question.
She could hear a lot of shouting in the station and was worried for the safety of the two youths. She asked Garda Gray if they were in the station and was told: "We're very busy in here tonight."
Cross-examined by Mr Gageby, she agreed that the youth who was assaulted was unwilling to get into the squad car. She denied she was confused by events.
Sgt Daniel Creedon said he was supervisor in Malahide Garda station on the night of the alleged assaults.
One of the accused, Garda O'Grady, complained of an injured right hand when he returned to the station with the youths.
Garda Colleran also had minor injuries.
Mr Eric Donnelly had a small cut to his lower lip and some blood coming from his ear. Mr Eugene Donnelly had some blood coming from his nose. Both were intoxicated.
The trial continues.