€175,000 award for garda overturned

THE Supreme Court unanimously yesterday overturned a High Court jury award of €175,000 to a retired garda who claimed he and a separated mother-of-four were wrongfully arrested and detained 14 years ago on suspicion of being members of the IRA.

Retired Garda Joe Walshe, aged 63, of Oaklawn Drive, Dromin, Nenagh, Co Tipperary and Ms Kay Bedford, aged 60, of Sir Harry's Hill, Limerick were found by the High Court to have been unlawfully arrested on September 27, 1991 in Limerick under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and detained for three days on suspicion of IRA membership.

Mr Justice Kearns, in his judgment, said the arrests took place as part of an investigation into "a matter of major concern" to the garda authorities at the time the infiltration of the garda ranks in Limerick by the IRA.