A garda called to deal with an assault which was allegedly broken up by security men at a Dublin night-club did not ask any of the security men for their names, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Garda Joe Lowney said he did not ask for their names because they told him they did not see the assault on an off-duty garda, Garda Keith Dore, of Donnybrook Garda station.
In his evidence last week Garda Dore, who sustained a black eye and had two teeth chipped, agreed there was a possibility some of the security at the club could have been gardai.
Yesterday Garda Lowney told a jury of 11 that a security man directed him to an incident at the rear of the premises when he arrived on the scene at 2.45 a.m. He went there and saw up to 100 people in the vicinity but could find no witnesses to the assault. He did not check to see who had called the Garda.
He was giving evidence on the third day of the trial of three men charged with assaulting Garda Dore at Copper Face Jack's, Harcourt Street, Dublin, on April 29th last year. Mr Francis Connelly (21), Noard, Two Mile House, Co Tipperary; Mr Terence O'Reilly (28), Grange Park, Rathfarnham; and his brother, Mr Leslie O'Reilly (22), Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, Co Louth, have pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Garda Lowney said he called an ambulance, but before it arrived Garda Dore had been taken away in a patrol car which came from Donnybrook station.
Mr Connolly, a duty manager in the Mont Clare Hotel, Dublin, said he was talking to a woman when he received a heavy knock which caused him to spill his drink on the woman. He turned around and told Garda Dore to "f--k off".
He had resumed chatting to the woman when he received a blow which knocked him to the ground. He claimed the blow came from Garda Dore who he said was very drunk. Garda Dore has denied this.
Mr Connolly said security broke up the scuffle and when he went outside Garda Aisling O'Connor told him to come with her. He claimed she never cautioned him or told him he was under arrest. He definitely told her and a security man that it was Garda Dore who started the scuffle.
Mr Terence O'Reilly, who accompanied Mr Connolly to the club, said he saw Garda Dore "bump off" Mr Connolly and Garda Dore appeared to start picking on him. He told the garda to "f--k off". He said he punched Garda Dore in self-defence when the garda picked up a bottle and swung it at him. The garda missed him and connected with Mr Connolly's jaw. He claimed the garda was not kicked or punched on the ground. The garda was "off his face completely".
The trial continues.