Ex-garda gets €170k over impact of shoot-out

A retired Garda sergeant, who was left with lifelong post-traumatic stress disorder following the fatal shoot-out at Derrada Wood during the rescue of Don Tidey over 30 years ago, has been awarded almost €170,000 compensation.

At the High Court, Mr Justice Bernard Barton said Thomas Mansfield had been extremely affected after he was used with other unarmed garda recruits in the rescue from IRA kidnappers of Mr Tidey at Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, in 1983.

Mr Mansfield, formerly of Rathcoole, Co Dublin, had told a Garda compensation hearing that another recruit, Garda Gary Sheehan, and Private Patrick Kelly had been shot dead during the IRA gun attack.