Officers ‘lost all confidence’ in Garda watchdog after court case comments

Frontline gardaí have lost confidence in their watchdog’s ability to run fair and impartial internal investigations, said a senior member of the Garda Representative Association.

Mick Corcoran, a GRA central executive committee member, said gardaí were angry at comments by the Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) after two gardaí were cleared of wrongdoing when they used pepper spray to subdue a youth.

Gardaí Brendan Dowling and Fiona Sheehan had the case against them dismissed at Cork District Court.