Garda awarded €100,000 after man spat blood on his face

A garda who claimed a man deliberately spat blood and saliva on him and threatened to infect him with HIV has been awarded €100,000 damages at a High Court garda compensation hearing.

Ms Justice Mary Irvine heard that Garda John McDonnell, aged 50, had been assaulted at Cashel Place, Cashel, Co Tipperary, in Nov 2007, while attempting to arrest a bloodied man who had just been involved in a scuffle.

Judge Irvine, in a reserved judgment, said it was unusual that Garda McDonnell had not immediately wiped the blood and saliva off his face as one might have expected of someone afraid of contracting an infection.