Garda awarded €16k after punch breaks nose

A GARDA whose nose was broken when he was punched by a man he had arrested following a fracas has been awarded €16,000 damages in the High Court.

Barrister David Richardson told Ms Justice Mary Irvine yesterday that Garda Mark Carty and a number of colleagues had been called to an incident at a boat in Athlone harbour in April 2007.

A number of men, members of a group of about 20 “highly intoxicated” men and women who had been celebrating, had been arrested and taken to Athlone Garda station.

Gda Carty, aged 36, of Lecarrow, Shannonbridge, Co Offaly, who has since been transferred to Moate Garda station, told the court he was “aggressively punched” in the face by one of the men in the station after his handcuffs had been removed.

Medical examination revealed he suffered a fractured nose which resulted in his being off work for 51 days. His confidence had been greatly affected for a short time afterwards and he had developed a mucus blockage which had caused him to snore in his sleep.

This had been successfully treated by a nasal spray over a number of months.

Judge Irvine, who deals with Garda Compensation Claims in the High Court, said Gda Carty had not required surgical intervention to correct a very slight deviation in his nose and had made a good recovery.

She awarded him €15,000 general damages with special damages of €1,200 for medical expenses.