This article is from page 14 of the 2005-09-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
A WOMAN has claimed that she was only summonsed to court to face charges, after she made a complaint against a garda on a separate matter.
Mother-of-one Karen Hyland (35), of Dromard, Lahinch Road, Ennis, was before Ennis District Court, ac- cused of obstructing a garda, while she was out for her work Christmas party, at the Queen’s Hotel on December 19 Ee
Garda Denis Lavan told the court that Garda Cathal O’Sullivan arrested a woman shortly before 2am. The ac- cused, Karen Hyland, was attempting to pull the arrested woman – who was her friend – away from the garda and was trying to come between them.
“She said we weren’t taking her friend. They were her words…She was very wound up and aggressive towards Gda O’Sullivan and I. She refused to calm down,” said Gda Lavan.
Defending solicitor Stephen Nicho- las said the woman being arrested was very upset over a personal matter and his client was trying to help the situa- tion. He said she was a ‘calming influ- ence.’
Mr Nicholas said his client did not receive a summons until the follow- ing March, after she made a complaint about Gda Lavan at Ennis Garda Sta- tion, in relation to another matter.
The solicitor said to Gda Lavan, ‘The reason you are bringing this case is you are angry and annoyed. You bear something of a grudge against this defendant.” Gda Lavan denied this, saying he had six months to serve a Summons on an accused.
Karen Hyland told the court she drank a number of glasses of Guinness in a pub in town, before going to the Queen’s, where she drank a bottle of Bulmer’s. She said her friend was ‘very down in the dumps’ and was crying. She went out to comfort her. “I tried to explain to the guard that she was very upset, to leave her alone. I said I was bringing her home,” she said.
She denied pulling at one garda and denied shouting at another garda.
She said she was involved in a road traffic matter the following March, during which she met Gda Lavan. She told the court on that occasion, Gda Lavan said to her, “You assaulted a garda one night.” She said she replied, “T didn’t.” She then complained about Gda Lavan at Ennis Garda Station and after that she received a summons re- lating to the incident at the Queen’s.
A security employee at the Queen’s, Frank Rocke said Ms Hyland wasn’t highly excited or aggressive and wasn’t abusive to the gardai on the night in question.
Judge Joseph Mangan dismissed the Oe Neo