Ferris assault claim rejected

SINN FÉIN TD Martin Ferris yesterday said it had come as no great surprise to him that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Garda Complaints Board had rejected his complaint that he had been assaulted in garda custody last March.

He had been arrested by gardaí investigating the

abduction of a man in Castleisland and alleged he was assaulted while being questioned in Killarney garda station.

Mr Ferris, since elected to the Dáil for North Kerry, made an official complaint as he was leaving the station and this was investigated by a superintendent from outside the Kerry division.

The superintendent interviewed Mr Ferris and all gardaí involved in the Castleisland abduction probe A file was sent to the complaints board and forwarded to the DPP as it contained assault claims.

However, the DPP has directed that no charges are to be brought and the Garda Complaints Board has also turned down the claim.

"This has come as no great surprise to me as I have always believed that gardaí are not the people to investigate other gardaí," Mr Ferris said yesterday "I have never taken a case against anybody in my life but will now be talking to my solicitor and my party and looking at the option of taking a civil case."

His director of elections, James Sheehan, of Ardfert, Co Kerry, was also arrested in March and subsequently made an official complaint alleging garda harassment.

This was also rejected by the complaints board.

A separate file on the abduction investigation was forwarded some months ago to the DPP and a decision on whether charges are to be brought is expected shortly.

Mr Ferris, who had complained in the past about harassment by the Special Branch, said he did not have the slightest problem with the gardaí since his election, last May.