Garda pleads guilty to assaulting student who removed his cap

A STUDENT who took off a garda’s hat in Cork city centre ended up being knocked unconscious by the officer and left bleeding on the ground.

Michael Kiernan, 53, who had an unblemished 30-year career as a garda, retired from the force after the assault and pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of assault causing harm to the young man.

The sentencing judge dismissed the charge under the Probation of Offenders Act yesterday.