Courts

Garda immigration officer convicted of sexual assault and harassment receives jail term

John Egan (61) of Knock, Co Mayo, sexually assaulted a woman at Castlerea Garda Station who sought his assistance with a visa application

As part of the investigation, the Garda’s phone records were examined in relation to his interaction with the victims. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
As part of the investigation, the Garda’s phone records were examined in relation to his interaction with the victims. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Richard Canny
Sat Mar 09 2024 - 20:04

A former Garda immigration officer has been jailed for sexual assault and harassment involving two non-EU nationals who sought his assistance with visa applications and passports at a Roscommon Garda station.

At a sitting of Roscommon Circuit Court on Friday, Judge Kenneth Connolly convicted John Egan (61), with an address at Drum, Knock, Co Mayo, of sexually assaulting one of the women at Castlerea Garda station on February 14th, 2015, while working there as an immigration officer.

He was also convicted of harassing the same victim on various locations across the county on dates between February 15th and December 31st 2015.

Egan was also convicted of harassing a second woman on dates between June 1st, 2014, and March 4th, 2017. He pleaded guilty to all the offences at a sitting of Roscommon Circuit Court last year. That sitting heard that watching, following and contacting were carried out as part of the harassments.

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Friday’s Circuit Court sitting heard that part of Egan’s duties was to meet non-EU nationals in assisting with their visa applications.

On one occasion, one of the women went to see him about her visa application and she made him aware, when he asked her, that she no longer had a partner. He sexually assaulted her inside his office at the station.

The court was also told that sometimes he would park outside her home and remain there for a time. The Garda also told her not to tell anyone about what was going on.

The man told the other victim on numerous occasions that “he wanted to have some fun”, and she took that to mean he wanted to have sex.

Egan was arrested and charged with the offences in December 2021. As part of the investigation, the Garda’s phone records were examined in relation to his interaction with the victims.

In victim impact statements read out to the court, both women spoke of how Egan’s behaviour had affected them emotionally, physically and mentally. One of the victims said she felt “sad, ashamed and violated”, and the man had “preyed on my vulnerability and abused his power”.

The other woman, in her victim impact statement, said she didn’t think people would believe her.

“To me, he was a person of power who everyone seemed to like,” she said. The woman felt trapped and vulnerable and he “played on my vulnerability”. The court heard she suffered from anxiety as a result and was prescribed medication.

Egan took the witness stand and “sincerely apologised for the pain and trauma” he had caused the two women .

The former Garda had joined the force in December 1982 aged 19, and in 1990, was stationed at Castlerea Garda station. In 2002, he was appointed as an immigration officer at the station, a role he carried out until he retired in April 2017.

Judge Connolly said the most aggravating factor was the man’s abuse of power and his position of dominance to perpetuate sexual events and harassment on one woman, and harassment on the other woman.

Judge Connolly sentenced Egan to two years and six months for sexually assaulting one of the women and a further two years in prison for harassing her. These sentences are to run concurrently.

Egan was also given a one year and nine-month consecutive jail sentence for harassing the other woman. The final nine months of this the sentence was suspended.