A garda whose nose was broken when her garda boyfriend headbutted her at a night club has been awarded £20,000 damages against him in the Circuit Civil Court.
Roscommon-born Garda Sandra Keane (24), now stationed in Crumlin, Dublin, told the court the assault took place in the Break For The Border night club minutes after she had broken off her twoyear relationship with Mr Ciaran O'Hickey (26), Kilteel Road, Rathcoole, Co Dublin.
Her counsel, Mr Rory MacCabe, told the court the couple were both trainee members of the Garda Siochana when the incident took place in June last year.
"It is a very unfortunate case," he said. "They had gone to the club with friends and in the course of the evening she told the defendant she was ending their relationship. He later head-butted her, breaking her nose."
Mr MacCabe said the implications of the assault had already been catastrophic for Mr O'Hickey, who had resigned from the force and had pleaded guilty in the Circuit Criminal Court to assault.
He told Judge Sheridan that Mr O'Hickey had already paid Ms Keane £5,000 compensation as part of the determination in the criminal proceedings.
Garda Keane said she had been going out with Mr O'Hickey for about two years but broke off the relationship as she could see no future in it.
Ms Keane agreed with Mr Pat O'Connell, counsel for Mr O'Hickey, there had been an incident earlier in the night with an English visitor who had made a derogatory sexual remark to her. She had slapped him in the face and Mr O'Hickey had later gone over to the man's group to take her part.
Mr O'Hickey in evidence apologised for his behaviour, which he described as wrong and unacceptable. He had got a job as a sales rep to raise the initial £5,000 compensation, but since then he had been let go because of the publicity. He said there had been drink involved, and since then he had stopped drinking and was now in counselling.
The acting Circuit Court President, Judge Diarmuid Sheridan, said it was the court's duty to protect women from assaults by men. Head-butting was a most repugnant action which could lead, and had led, to death.
"I have to give her damages for pain and suffering and for the affront to her person," Judge Sheridan said. "I award her £20,000, less the £5,000 she has already received, and her costs."