A former garda has been acquitted of beating a British armed forces commando about the head and back with a wheel brace at his home following a night out.
Dara Mac Giolla Rí (37) had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Colm Croghan (38) at Mr Mac Giolla Ri’s home on Sarsfield Street in Dublin 7 on October 17th, 2009. His co-accused and house-mate, Kenneth Cooney (37), a captain in the Irish Defence Forces, had been acquitted of the same charge on Wednesday following two hours’ deliberation.
The foreman indicated yesterday that the jury needed more time to consider the charges in relation to Mr Mac Giolla Ri but two hours later returned the verdict on day six of the trial. Mr Croghan had earlier told the jury that Capt Cooney held him down on a couch, while Mr Mac Giolla Ri hit him on the back of a head with a metal object, opening his skull.
Mr Croghan accepted that he had commando-style training in the British armed forces and had served in the French foreign legion.