Garda injured in Lansdowne soccer riot awarded £37,625

A garda who sustained neck and hand injuries while trying to keep rioting English supporters at bay during the soccer "friendly" between the Republic of Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road three years ago has been awarded more than £37,000 damages at the High Court.

Garda Oliver Egan (47), attached to Irishtown Garda station, told Mr Justice Budd he found himself practically alone for up to an hour while English supporters were breaking up seats and throwing them onto Irish supporters in the stands below.

He experienced flashbacks of the incident and had lost interest in his job. He felt he'd been let down by the force.

Yesterday, giving judgment on Garda Egan's claim under the Garda Compensation Acts, Mr Justice Budd said Garda Egan was on duty on a "notorious, infamous" day, February 15th, 1995, during the soccer match at Lansdowne Road.

While in the Upper West Stand, Garda Egan became aware there was trouble and had met a man with a child who said the gardai had "to do something". Garda Egan saw drunk, roaring and shouting English supporters breaking up seats and steel brackets and dropping them onto people below. He believed it was likely people would be maimed or even killed.

Garda Egan began to evacuate people so the areas where the trouble was occurring would be isolated. In one area, he saw parts of seats being piled up and he decided to station himself between the pile and the supporters to avoid the broken seats being used as weapons.

The judge said the garda was anxious to ensure a police presence. At one point, there was a surge forward and the garda believed the crowd were coming at him. He thought he was "done for". He fell back down the steps and injured his neck, back and hand. He got up and resumed his position and received no significant assistance for about an hour.

Following the riot, the garda was off duty for one month and had 10 sessions with a physiotherapist. He still had some pain at the root of his neck and had difficulty in sleeping. The judge said the most serious aspect of the case was continuing post-traumatic stress and this was not an unnatural reaction.

He granted £12,000 compensation for physical injuries, £20,000 for the post-traumatic stress reaction and £5,000 for pain and suffering in the future. A figure of £625 was agreed for special damages, making a total of £37,625.