A NIGERIAN-BORN Irish citizen has claimed before the High Court he was “singled out” by gardaí at a roadside checkpoint because he was black and then racially abused and assaulted.
Sunny Akpabot (42), formerly of St Ronan’s Green, Clondalkin, Dublin, now living in Coventry, England, is seeking damages from the Minister for Justice arising from his claim that he was assaulted, falsely arrested and unlawfully detained by gardaí on January 9th, 2002.
His case opened yesterday before Mr Justice Eamon de Valera and a jury, and continues today.
Mr Akpabot claims he was subjected to racist and intimidating taunts at the checkpoint and in a police car on his way to Tallaght Garda station.
The Minister denies the claims.
Gardaí will allege Mr Akpabot was using his mobile phone as he came to a checkpoint and refused to give his name and address, the court was told.
The Minister will also claim Mr Akpabot tried to drive off when a garda’s hand was still on the window and that, after he got out of his vehicle, he tried to run off.
The court heard the Garda Complaints Board had dismissed a complaint from him over the matter as vexatious.
Mr Akpabot told the court he left Nigeria because of political unrest and arrived in Ireland seeking asylum in 1996 before marrying his Irish-born wife in 1998 and obtaining citizenship.
He was working as a senior machinery operator in a Tallaght firm and was driving home at about 4pm on January 9th, 2002, to his wife, who was six months into a difficult pregnancy.
At a routine checkpoint at Belgard Square, near Tallaght Hospital, several cars in front of him were waved on by a garda who then came up to his window, he said.
The officer asked him his name and address, where he was from, how long he had been here and whether he was married or single.
When he asked the garda why he was the only one being questioned and interrogated like this, the garda said: “Look at my shoulder.”
Mr Akpabot agreed that meant he was a garda, and said the garda replied: “You’re damn right, and I can be a racist any day of the week I feel like.”
After giving the garda his details, he drove about 10m up the road, where a second garda was manning the checkpoint for the other side of the road.
He said he told this officer he felt he had been bullied by the first garda, and asked what station they were based at.
He said the second garda said: “Do you think we have nothing better to do?”
He said the garda then “came towards me and put his hands on my throat through the window”.
Mr Akpabot said the officer tried to pull him through the window as his car rolled a short distance down the street before coming to a stop.
He said he managed to get the officer’s hands off his throat, and then got out of his car and stood on the pavement because he “wanted the general public to witness what was happening”.
He said both gardaí put him down on the ground, knelt on his head and lower body and roughly handcuffed him.
He said he was crying and asking them what had he done.
The incident had upset him to such an extent he had lost faith in Ireland, and he later moved to Coventry with his three children.
His wife had decided to remain here.
“I felt I had been singled out based on my colour,” he said.
After his arrest, he was bundled into a squad car in which a female officer allegedly pinched his leg, hit him on the shoulder and racially abused him, Mr Akpabot said.
While at the station, he was laughed at and his requests to see a senior officer ignored.
Michelle Geoghegan, who was standing at a nearby bus stop on the day in question, said she saw the struggle between the gardaí and Mr Akpabot, and heard a lot of shouting.
The case continues.