Garda sergeant escapes jail in sexual assault case

A Dublin-based Garda sergeant has escaped jail with a €1,000 fine for sexually assaulting a female garda in 2010.

The sergeant was last week found guilty of similar offences against another female colleague.

The 49-year-old sergeant sexually assaulted a subordinate at a Dublin Garda station in June 2010.

The female garda was putting away a digital camera in the sergeant's office when he grabbed hold of her inner right thigh and then told her "I'd say you're some screamer in bed".

In a statement, the court heard the sergeant claimed he had acted in jest.

Last week, he was convicted by a different District Court judge of sexually assaulting another female garda on two seperate occasions in March and June of the same year.

He will be sentenced for that this Friday, but today Judge Timothy Lucey noted the Sergeant will probably lose his job and his pension will be affected.

He found the offence was not at the higher end of the scale and did not merit a custodial sentence.

The sergeant has been given three months to pay his fine.