Courts

Ex-garda and second man jailed for assaults on two women

One victim was bundled into a van and told she would be driven to the mountains and buried

At their sentence hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan said the men’s behaviour was cruel beyond extreme, reprehensible and shameful. File photograph: Dave Meehan
At their sentence hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan said the men’s behaviour was cruel beyond extreme, reprehensible and shameful. File photograph: Dave Meehan
Declan Brennan
Tue Jun 28 2022 - 18:41

A former garda and another man have been jailed for assaults on two women, which culminated in one woman being bundled into a van and told she would be driven to the mountains and buried.

During the ordeal in April 2021, Stephen McGrath (37) and former garda Stephen Cooper (37) forced a woman to take part in a “strip search” after he claimed she had stolen drugs from him.

Cooper threatened the woman and inserted his fingers into her body. This assault took place at the end of a four-day drink and drug binge.

Cooper of Kingswood Heights, Tallaght, Co Dublin, McGrath of Kilteel Road, Rathcoole and a second woman then moved to another house.

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When the men accused this woman of stealing cocaine, McGrath began a prolonged and vicious assault. Both men told her they were going to bring her up the mountains and bury her.