Waterford Garda denies instructing junior officers to leave room before alleged assault of suspect
Sgt William Doyle, of Waterford Garda Station, Ballybricken, is accused of committing a Section 2 assault against a man who was in police custody on March 9, 2022.
A Waterford Sergeant has denied instructing junior officers to leave a room in which an alleged assault occurred.
Sgt William Doyle, of Waterford Garda Station, Ballybricken, is accused of committing a Section 2 assault against a man who was in police custody on March 9, 2022.
On that date, the man had been arrested by Gardaí on The Quays in Waterford shortly after 6am on suspicion of a Section 3 assault.
The alleged assault involving Sgt. Doyle related to an incident shortly after 11am in the fingerprinting room in Waterford Garda Station.
Sgt Doyle also stands accused of perverting the course of justice by allegedly instructing a junior officer to not make a note of the alleged assault. The case has been taken by the Garda Ombudsman on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The trial continued at Waterford District Court before Judge John O'Leary. The court heard on the day of the incident, Sgt Doyle came into the fingerprinting room where the man was being questioned by two junior officers. At this point, Sgt Doyle asked the man if he had been arrested for assaulting his partner, to which the man became aggressive.
Sgt Doyle told the court that he tried to calm the suspect down.
He said: "He called me a fat c**t, bastard and said he'd have my job."
Sgt Doyle told the two officers; "Two seconds there lads," at which they left the room.
One of the officers recalled hearing "a commotion" inside the room, and the sound of furniture moving.
When the two Gardaí re-entered the room, the man shouted at them: "You let this happen."
Sgt Doyle told the court that he had spoken with the suspect's mother shortly before the incident.
He said: "She informed me that he was involved with bad people and requested that he not be released."
Prosecuting barrister David Perry BL asked him: "Is it appropriate to discuss an ongoing investigation with a member of the public?"
Sgt Doyle replied: "It is with a member of family."
During cross-examination, prosecutor David Perry BL put to Sgt Doyle that he told the two junior Garda officers to leave the room by saying: "Two seconds there, lads."
Sgt Doyle stated that the room was small, and was motioning to the officers to make way for him to "calm the situation"; "I refute any allegation that I asked for time alone with the suspect."
Mr Perry challenged Sgt Doyle over the allegation that he told the Garda member in charge to not enter the assault into the custody record.
In his closing speech, he stated that Sgt Doyle gave an "altered, self-serving account of what happened."
Sgt Doyle said: "I told her 'I can't put words in your mouth, but the matter must be recorded'."
Defence counsel David Staunton BL said that the alleged victim was "not a witness of any credit".
He said: "If he told me it was raining outside, I would take a look out, that's the kind of witness he is."
Judge O'Leary will return his decision on July 5, remarking: "I don't intend to give an off the cuff decision."
