A garda "jumping the gun" had led to an incident in which a taxi-driver called officers "racist pigs and scum", a judge said yesterday.
Judge Thomas Fitzpatrick made the remark when he dismissed charges against the taxi driver, Mr Thomas Harrison, who denied he made the abusive remarks during the incident outside a Dublin pub on May 24 last.
Judge Fitzpatrick said the incident would never have happened had Garda Colin Murrin not "jumped the gun" and issued a parking ticket to Mr Harrison, also known as Mr Harrison Tuku, of Dorset Street, Dublin.
Dublin District Court heard gardaí were issuing tickets to taxis which were parking dangerously outside a Nassau Street pub.
Mr Harrison was among them and when he was issued with his ticket, he became abusive, telling the officers they were "racist pigs and scum".
He also said "all Irish people are racist", Garda Murrin said. He was arrested and had to be put into a garda van by three officers.
Mr Harrison told the court that he had dropped off passengers outside the pub and picked up another fare immediately when he was stopped by the garda.
Judge Fitzpatrick said it was necessary for taxi-drivers to drop and pick up passengers as near as possible to their destination.
"It appears to me the garda was jumping the gun a bit to give him (Mr Harrison) a ticket," Judge Fitzpatrick remarked.