Watchdog probes road death of garda’s mother

THE Garda watchdog is investigating a tragic road accident in Co Galway in which the mother of a garda was killed.

The 65-year-old woman was a front-seat passenger in a car being driven by her son, who was off duty at the time.

The woman was named yesterday as Marjorie O’Donoghue, from Bandon in Co Cork.

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is investigating the case because of the involvement of a garda in the death, even though the garda was off duty at the time.

Sources stressed yesterday that the involvement of the Ombudsman is effectively an automatic response and did not suggest any wrongdoing by the garda, or any garda in such cases.

It is the third investigation being carried out by the Garda watchdog in just over two weeks into road fatalities involving off duty gardaí in Co Galway.

The latest tragedy occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Lenamore, Milltown, Tuam. In a statement yesterday, the Ombudsman said it was examining the case in line with the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

“An off-duty member of the Garda Síochána, who was driving his own car, was involved in a collision with another vehicle which has resulted in the death of a passenger in the Garda member’s car,” the statement said.

“The accident has been referred to [the Garda Ombudsman] by the Garda Commissioner under section 102 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.”

It is understood the case is being examined sensitively given the personal tragedy for the garda.

Two other incidents being investigated by the Grada Ombudsman involve off-duty gardaí in Co Galway in incidents which occurred this month.

The first took place in Oughtherard, in which a pedestrian died in an accident with a car driven by an off-duty garda.

Later, a 36-year-old man died when the motorcycle he was driving crashed on the Sralea Road, Ballinasloe. The man was apparently trying to evade gardaí.