Garda Superintendent Accused of Assault Following Incident at Dublin Bar
A non-jury trial is underway concerning allegations that Garda Superintendent Gavin O’Reilly assaulted Emma parks at the Penny Lane bar in Dublin. The court has heard testimony regarding the incident and the subsequent arrest of Superintendent O’Reilly.
The prosecution’s case centers on Ms. Parks‘ account of being struck by Superintendent O’Reilly after she held up her phone. defense counsel, Mr. Orange, argued that his client did not know what was being held in front of him, only seeing an object “shoved in his face” and reacting by hitting it away. He further suggested Ms. parks was seeking a reaction when holding her phone. Ms. Parks refuted these suggestions, maintaining her phone was primarily held close to her chest.
Two gardaí, Eoin Naughton and Graham Johnson, testified about the scene following the alleged assault. Garda Naughton, stationed at Store Street at the time, stated that Superintendent O’Reilly was “roaring, shouting and threatening” upon their arrival. He alleged the accused threatened to have the officers lose their jobs or be sued, and even threatened to urinate on the street. Garda Naughton initially stated he was unaware the arrested man was a Garda superintendent, as he had no identification.
However, under cross-examination, Garda Naughton could not recall a trainee garda informing him at the scene that the arrested man was recognized as a Garda superintendent from the 2023 annual Pride parade. There was also disagreement regarding the timing of the arrest, with the defence suggesting it occurred within 40 seconds, while Garda Naughton initially estimated it took around 10 minutes. he later clarified that Superintendent O’Reilly appeared upset initially, but became aggressive and angry later. He also stated the accused did not mention being falsely imprisoned.
Garda Johnson testified that Superintendent O’Reilly was agitated when asked for identification and stated,”This is all wrong,this is all lies” during his arrest.
The defence has presented a narrative suggesting Superintendent O’Reilly returned to the bar to leave a message for the owner – stating “Garda Gav was in” – and that the bar manager “went for him.” They also claim video evidence shows Superintendent O’Reilly being “dragged” by door staff and “roughed up,” suggesting ms. Parks was antagonistic towards him for returning.Ms. Parks previously testified that she took a week off work and was very shaken following the incident, experiencing pain as a result.
The trial continues before Judge John Hughes.
