Supreme Court rules man may sue over prosecuting Garda's 'completely wrong' statement in court case

A man described by a prosecuting Garda Inspector to a sentencing judge as having 19 previous convictions when in fact he had none may pursue a claim for damages against the Garda Commissioner and the State, the Supreme Court has ruled.

In a potentially significant decision, the court ruled the man's claim must be confined to seeking to establish negligence behind the statements made in court by the Inspector while presenting the case for the DPP.