Judge to decide fate of garda who assaulted teenager

By Niamh O’Donoghue

A judge will decide later whether to jail a garda who was found guilty of assaulting a teenager in Dublin’s Temple Bar during Covid-19 restrictions.

Lorcan Murphy (32) of Pearse Street Garda Station had pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

But he was convicted by a jury by unanimous verdict following a trial last July at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The assaults on the then 17-year-old boy took place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1, 2021.

The court heard the victim is now in prison.

There was €10,000 brought to court by Murphy, who was suspended a week after the incident, but the victim could not be contacted in prison yesterday to see if he would accept it.

Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the case to February 3, 2026 next and directed an updated probation report.

Donal Grant, who was the designated officer of Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) which is now called Fiosrú, told the court Murphy was a member of An Garda Siochana at the time of the incident.

Mr Grant told John Gallagher BL, prosecuting, the matter was referred to GSOC by Superintendent Joe Cannon of Pearse Street Garda Station because there was concern that an assault may have taken place and a head injury was sustained.

GSOC issued a public notice and a number of people came forward.

The court heard evidence from the injured party and a number of people on the street at time of the offence during the trial.

These witnesses were all friends and were socialising on the street.

This was during the last stages of Covid-19 restrictions.

Footage from Dolphin House court on Essex Street showed Murphy engaging with the victim before he was brought to the ground and handcuffed.

He was brought to his feet and then Murphy performed a leg sweep but since the teenager was handcuffed, he could not put out his hands to save himself.

He suffered a fractured skull and was unconscious at the time he was placed in the rear of a van to Pearse Street Garda Station.

Other footage from the Clarence Hotel showed the injured party lying on ground at the base of a garda van and he was also unconscious at that stage, Mr Grant said.

There was CCTV footage of the second assault in the garda station which arose as the victim was slumped forward unconscious.

Murphy pulled his head back by his hair and then performed a “sternum rub” on the youth applying pressure to his chest, which the defence contended was a form of first aid training that gardai receive.

Under cross-examination, Mr Grant agreed Covid-19 regulations were being loosened and the pubs were doing takeaway pints at the time of this incident.

He further agreed a garda operation was in place at the time and zero tolerance was part of its policy.

Murphy told the investigators he performed a leg sweep which is in the garda manual.

“Unfortunately his head came in contact with the ground,” the court was told.

Judge Codd asked how long the injured party was in hospital and Mr Grant replied three days, with the teenager making full recovery.

He said he still had headaches and had suffered memory loss.

The judge adjourned the case for a probation report but also to see if the victim will accept €10,000 as a gesture of remorse and engage in restorative justice.

She noted that there was a low risk of re-offending.

Justin McQuade BL, defending, told the court his client now accepts responsibility for his actions and said he wants to apologise to his victim and his colleagues in the force.

His client’s parents deeply regret what happened while maintaining support for his son.

Counsel said he has not wallowed in self-pity and had undergone a law degree since the incident, graduating last week, and a course in human rights.

His qualifications were shown to The Probation Service.

He also got a degree in 2017 thorough an Garda Siochana.

Judge Codd noted that during the course of the trial there was a previous incident where a rocket went by his ear narrowly missing him.

Mr McQuade said there was evidence of that in the trial while Murphy was on public order duty.

A firework was fired at another garda and it narrowly missed Murphy and “heightened his awareness,” Mr McQuade told the court.

Judge Codd said she agreed with the jury there was very strong objective evidence.

The judge said there was no evidence there was any aggression.