Garda head-butted during Cork bar fight awarded €40,000 for injuries

Cork garda suffered badly swollen nose and dental damage from assault in Mahon bar in 2014

Garda John Twomey, attached to Blackrock Garda Station, Cork, said one of the men known as BB had gone 'berserk' outside the pub and when he grabbed his arm in a bid to restrain him BB had head-butted him in the face. File picture: Dan Linehan

A garda who was head-butted in the face as he attempted to restrain a man has been awarded more than €40,000 damages in the High Court for personal injuries.

Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty was told in a Garda Compensation hearing that Cork Garda John Twomey and a colleague, Garda Karen Ring, had been directed to a fight in a bar in Mahon, Cork, in August 2014.

Barrister Ellen Gleeson, counsel for Garda Twomey, told the court that by the time they had arrived at the bar the fight was over but the participants were still engaged in hostilities outside the licensed premises.

Ms Gleeson, who appeared with Ernest Cantillon Solicitors, Cork, said there had been five or six people involved in the dispute and a number of arrests had been made for offences under the Criminal Justice Public Order Act.

Garda Twomey, attached to Blackrock Garda Station, Cork, said one of the men known as BB had gone "berserk" outside the pub and when he grabbed his arm in a bid to restrain him BB had head-butted him in the face.

Assaulted a second time

The two gardaí had succeeded in getting BB partly away from the scene but Garda Twomey had been assaulted a second time. The following day, he went to see a GP in Youghal and had a badly swollen nose. He had also suffered dental damage.

Judge Gearty awarded Garda Twomey €25,000 in general damages for pain and suffering to date with a further €9,000 towards future pain and potential dental services in the future. 

The judge also awarded Garda Twomey €7,653 special damages for expenses incurred in treatment since the August 2014 incident.