Garda gets €137,654 after injury forced him to quit

A former Garda sergeant who was forced to quit the force because of injury, has been awarded almost €140,000 damages at a High Court Garda compensation hearing.

Barrister Dr John O’Mahony told the court Sergeant Dan Sheahan, a brother of former TD and now Senator Tom Sheahan, had suffered such injuries during a melee his retirement was ordered by the Garda Commissioner.

Dr O’Mahony said the then Sgt Sheahan, of Westcourt Heights, Ballincollig, Cork, was on duty in Dunmanway, Co Cork, in December 2003, when he and a colleague had to arrest a man for criminal damage.

When they discovered there was no cell available for him they had no option but to drive him handcuffed to the man’s home in Enniskeane, Co Cork.

When they arrived they were attacked by a group of men and the sergeant was headbutted and grabbed by the throat.

He had received a number of blows to his head and body and a man had charged at him with a four-pronged pike and tried to stab him. He and his colleague had eventually managed to get into the Garda squad car and make their escape.

Mr Sheahan, aged 55, told the court he had suffered from post-traumatic depression to such an extent he eventually had to retire in 2005 at the direction of the Garda Commissioner. He had aspirations of reaching the rank of superintendent and his life had changed for the worst following the assault.

Mr Sheahan agreed with Micheal O’Scanaill, SC for the Minister for Finance, he worked between 35 and 65 hours a week in the family business, a pub owned by his wife in Ovens, Co Cork.

His wife told Mr O’Scanaill that although it was known as Dan Sheahan’s Pub it belonged to her.

Ms Justice Mary Irvine said she had sympathy for Mr Sheahan’s wife and family. He had been withdrawn to a certain extent from his duties to his family but by 2010 had been living a fruitful life.

While she did not accept he would have achieved the rank of superintendent, she awarded him €70,000 general damages along with €65,000 loss of earnings up until 2010 and €2,654 special damages — a total of €137,654.