Garda accused of taxi row assault must pay €2k to charity

AN off-duty garda accused of assaulting a woman in a row over a taxi in Galway city has avoided a conviction and has been ordered to make a contribution of €2,000 to charity.

Garda Shane Waldron, 29, who is stationed in Oranmore in Co Galway, was charged with the assault of Emma Collins, 28, in Eyre Square in the early hours of November 25, 2007.

The charge was brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions following an investigation by the Garda Ombudsman.

The case first became before Judge Leo Malone at Galway District Court on February 26, 2009, but was dismissed on a legal technicality.

The prosecution appealed and the case was sent back to Galway District Court.

At yesterday’s hearing, Garda Waldron told the court that he had been socialising with his girlfriend in the Living Room Bar, Bridge Street, before moving on to Halo nightclub.

He said they left the nightclub at about 2.30am and went to Supermacs in Eyre Square to get some food.

Afterwards, he said he jumped into the passenger seat of a taxi, which was parked across from a Bank of Ireland in Eyre Square.

He said he spoke to the taxi driver but didn’t understand him at first because his English was poor.

Ms Collins, who was the original passenger in the cab, then got into the back seat. She had asked the taxi driver to stop at an ATM machine in Eyre Square so she could get money to pay the fare.

Garda Waldron said he asked Ms Collins if she would share the taxi with him and his girlfriend but said she refused.

He then identified himself as a member of the Garda Síochána and produced his badge.

Garda Waldron admitted to the court that an altercation had taken place in the taxi but denied assaulting Ms Collins.

At the previous hearing in February last year, Ms Collins told Judge Malone that Garda Waldron had “shoved” his badge in her face and hit her in the chin three times with the bottom part of his hand.

Taxi driver Carlito Felippe also gave evidence of the incident. He said that when he tried to tell Garda Waldron that he was waiting on a fare, he replied, “Do you know who I am?”

He told the court Garda Waldron got out of the taxi and went around to where Ms Collins was sitting and slapped her in the face.

Judge Leo Malone said he was satisfied that Garda Waldron did strike Ms Collins but that it was minor and didn’t require any medical attention.

He also noted that Ms Collins hadn’t made a claim for compensation before deciding to strike out proceedings on condition that Garda Waldron makes a charitable contribution of €2,000 to the court.