Garda compensation hearing told prisoner defecated in cell

A detective garda suffered psychological injuries after a prisoner defecated in his cell and rubbed his excrement over his face, the High Court was told yesterday.

Cavan based Detective Garda Linda Harkin, 39, told the court that, in June 2005, she had brought a cup of tea to a prisoner who had been brought in for questioning in relation to a “serious gangland murder investigation”.

She told her counsel, Frank Martin, that the prisoner had not wanted to co-operate during interviews, but had not caused any trouble when she brought him meals and accompanied him on a confined recreation walk.

Det Gda Harkin told a Garda compensation hearing that, on the second day of his detention, she had brought him a cup of tea he had asked for.

She had left it on his cell door hatch and had looked in to check on him. She saw that the prisoner had put his head close to the hatch and she could see he had excrement all over his face and in his mouth.

Det Garda Harkin said she was shocked when the prisoner had opened his mouth and she saw it was filled with excrement. It had been covering his teeth and she could see he was trying to swallow it. They were almost nose to nose and she feared he was going to spit it in her face.

Det Gda Harkin, of Rocklands, Cavan, is suing the State for compensation for personal injury. She claims she developed post- traumatic stress disorder and short-term anorexia.

She said the smell had been overpowering in the cell area and she had later developed a hypersensitivity to smell.

She told Mr Justice Bernard Barton that, following the incident, she had immediately felt sick and had gone to a sink and vomited. She felt weak and later had been unable to drive home. She was collected that evening by her husband.

Judge Barton yesterday held, in a preliminary issue in the case, that the prisoner had intended maliciously attacking Dt Gda Harkin and

adjourned the remainder of the hearing.