Garda whistleblower’s life irrevocably changed

This week, we reported that an investigation into a Garda whistleblower’s complaint has been stalled for two years because of a failure by the force to hand over documents to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. But the background to this episode stretches back much further than that, writes Michael Clifford.

Garda Keith Harrison traces many of his woes back to the night in 2009 when he stopped a garda colleague for drink-driving in Athlone. The charge against his colleague was dismissed in court, but Gda Harrison has no regrets about how he handled the matter.

There were other incidents which may have contributed to him becoming unpopular with fellow officers. He had concerns about the conduct of some investigations of drug-dealing which he raised, but then let lie. He impounded a jeep in 2008 after the owner drove through a checkpoint.