4 October 2001 Edition
Sinn FÈin councillors accuse GardaÌ of malicious arrests
Two Belfast-based Sinn FÈin councillors and a teenager, also from Belfast, are accusing the GardaÌ of overreacting and maliciousness after the trio were arrested in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday morning 29 September. While in custody, one of the councillors and the teenager say they were assaulted by GardaÌ.
The arrests arose out of an incident at a fast food bar in the city centre, where councillors Michael Browne and Paul Maskey, along with the youth went for food and witnessed a disturbance between security staff in the restaurant and a young woman.
Maskey said a security man had a young woman in an arm lock - "her arm was screwed right up her back and she was obviously in pain". He approached the man and asked him if he could not use less force when restraining the woman. The security man informed Maskey that the Guards were on their way and would sort things out.
At this point, the woman asked Maskey to wait until the GardaÌ arrived. The GardaÌ arrived soon after and arrested two woman, but then they also arrested the teenager who was with Maskey and Browne.When Maskey approached the Guards to tell them they made a mistake he was himself handcuffed. Likewise, Browne was arrested when he intervened.
It was after they were brought to a Garda station that Michael Browne reports one Garda hit him across the face. He added that the teenager was punched in the stomach.
All three expect the charges to be dropped when they next appear in court and are talking of taking a case of wrongful arrest against the Guards.
The arrests arose out of an incident at a fast food bar in the city centre, where councillors Michael Browne and Paul Maskey, along with the youth went for food and witnessed a disturbance between security staff in the restaurant and a young woman.
Maskey said a security man had a young woman in an arm lock - "her arm was screwed right up her back and she was obviously in pain". He approached the man and asked him if he could not use less force when restraining the woman. The security man informed Maskey that the Guards were on their way and would sort things out.
At this point, the woman asked Maskey to wait until the GardaÌ arrived. The GardaÌ arrived soon after and arrested two woman, but then they also arrested the teenager who was with Maskey and Browne.When Maskey approached the Guards to tell them they made a mistake he was himself handcuffed. Likewise, Browne was arrested when he intervened.
It was after they were brought to a Garda station that Michael Browne reports one Garda hit him across the face. He added that the teenager was punched in the stomach.
All three expect the charges to be dropped when they next appear in court and are talking of taking a case of wrongful arrest against the Guards.