Na Gardaí

Started by 118cmal, November 24, 2008, 03:22:48 PM

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Agent Orange

Judge Smithwick hit the nail on the head when he said Gardai had a culture of circling the wagons within senior ranks to protect its reputation. He may have been  referring to the murders of Breen and Buchannon almost a quarter of a century ago, but nothing has changed in the mean time and the chickens have well and truly come home to roost for the Gardai in Dundalk over the last twelve months.
The murder of Garda Donohoe was a shocking crime, but to listen to the Gardai and indeed the media over since the events in Bellurgan you would think it was the only murder in the country, to a certain extent we have been here before in the north when there was a hierarchy of victims. Some murders got much more coverage than others, it was as if some lives were worth more than others. I am not trying to make excuses for Donohoes murder, but his murder could have been prevented.
The same credit union was robbed by the same gang eighteen months previously and while it wasn't their first robbery it was probably their most lucrative. The guards knew almost immediately who was responsible, these young lads were flashing a lot of cash and letting everyone know where the money came from. On another thread on this board the subject of stolen tractors has come up. This same gang has been stealing tractors, plant, machinery, cars and committing other robberies for quite some time, but the cops just didn't want to know. In fact the deceased  Garda actually caught some of them with stolen tractors and plant less than two miles from the scene of the murder. All charges were dropped.
Recently Gardai issued an appeal about a robbery that took place at Dundalk stadium, surprise, surprise, the same gang was involved, in fact the bookmaker who was robbed actually named one of this gang, but again no charges were brought. http://www.thejournal.ie/robbery-racecourse-dundalk-1177154-Nov2013/
The events in Bellurgan weren't the first time this gang had shot someone, they had already used their shotgun in a robbery at Morgan Fuels, close to the border at Edentubber. http://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/news/fresh-appeal-for-robbery-information-28907916.html
Previously in this thread there is mention of a rape charge in Newry. Two people were charged and were due to be sentenced in October after pleading guilty, but the case his disappeared, no longer listed, no records, nothing. Even the media, who had reported all previous court appearances in this case have gone unusually quiet. A detective from Dundalk was sent to the court in Newry on the day this pair were due to be sentenced, he sat in the court all day waiting for the pair to appear, but no one bothered to tell him that their names had been removed from the court list on the previous day. You won't hear that story after the next cross border police summit in the Crowne Plaza. ;)
I could spend most of the morning listing crimes and cases were these guys were caught red handed, but then I would also have to try to explain why no charges were ever brought, or why charges were suddenly dropped and to be honest there is no logical explanation. Not long after the Donohoe murder one of these boys who had been charged with rape in the north appeared in court in Carrickmacross on a charge of affray. He attacked a former friend with a bottle leaving him with head wounds that needed 35 staples. Yet again he walked, but only after he was ordered to apologise and shake hands with the victim. The row was over a woman, who this thug has just had a child with, the victim was an ex boyfriend.

The Gardai have played the media and the general public like a fiddle, they have used every excuse in the book as to why they have been unable to bring anyone to justice for Garda Donohoes murder, but they need to look closer to home when they are looking for someone to blame. A good place to start would be to look in the mirror. Donohoe may still be alive if these boys hadn't been allowed to run. Why were they allowed to run? Who made the decision to allow them to commit scores, even hundreds of crimes.

If the ghosts of Breen and Buchannon haunt Dundalk Garda station, they may well be singing "Karma Police, arrest this man."

orangeman

Agent Orange- that's shocking if all your claims are true.

How can such serious charges be suddenly removed from a court listing ?

This is mad.

NAG1

Quote from: orangeman on January 14, 2014, 10:05:39 AM
Agent Orange- that's shocking if all your claims are true.

How can such serious charges be suddenly removed from a court listing ?

This is mad.

Im thinking exactly the same thing and am baffled as to what in the day in age would give this gang the impunity to operate in this way around the border area?
Its not like it was 20 - 25 years ago so what stopping them being stopped?

AZOffaly

Whatever about the rest of Agent Orange's post, it is an undeniable fact that a murder of a Garda is deemed a more serious offence than the murder of a private citizen.

I think part of this is because a Garda in the line of duty is protecting other citizens, so an attack on him is effectively an attack on all citizens.
Also, an attack on a Garda can be deemed to be an attack on the state.

This is also the view in many western societies, not sure about other cultures. In America, a 'Cop Killer' has an extremely low survival prognosis..

All of a Sludden

Quote from: AZOffaly on January 14, 2014, 03:56:20 PM
In America, a 'Cop Killer' has an extremely low survival prognosis..

We are not in America.

In the north a cop killer has a good chance of ending up in government.


Looks like the rape charge hasn't disappeared. http://www.newrydemocrat.com/articles/news/38017/rape-case-set-back-again/

It should be noted that the O'Callaghan mentioned in the above article has been in custody since he was first charged almost 2 years ago and is not a suspect in the murder of detective Donohue.
I'm gonna show you as gently as I can how much you don't know.

Keyser soze

Quote from: All of a Sludden on January 14, 2014, 06:21:08 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on January 14, 2014, 03:56:20 PM
In America, a 'Cop Killer' has an extremely low survival prognosis..

We are not in America.

In the north a cop killer has a good chance of ending up in government.

Looks like the rape charge hasn't disappeared. http://www.newrydemocrat.com/articles/news/38017/rape-case-set-back-again/

It should be noted that the O'Callaghan mentioned in the above article has been in custody since he was first charged almost 2 years ago and is not a suspect in the murder of detective Donohue.

And in the south as well.

Agent Orange

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25933355

Three former Irish police officers have challenged the findings of an inquiry into alleged collusion with the IRA.

Judge Peter Smithwick found, on balance of probability, that an un-named officer of the Garda Síochána (Irish police) had tipped off the IRA when two senior Royal Ulster Constabulary officers left Dundalk garda station.

Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan were then ambushed and killed.

They were the most senior RUC members to be killed in the Troubles.

The murders took place in south Armagh in March 1989.

The three former senior garda officers, all of whom served in Dundalk at various stages in their careers, say the Smithwick finding is not based on fact and have called on the Irish government to reject the judge's conclusions as "a matter of urgency and justice".

Critique
A day after the Smithwick report was published the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, apologised to the families of the two RUC officers and said he "accepted" the findings but did not go as far as saying he agreed with the findings or believed them.

The three former gardai, retired Chief Supt John O'Brien, former Chief Supt Michael Staunton and retired Chief Supt Michael Finnegan, have written a 30-page critique that they have sent to, amongst others, the Irish prime minister, Enda Kenny, and the justice minister, Alan Shatter.

Breen_&_Buchanan_murder_scene
Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan were murdered in south Armagh in March 1989
They suggest the finding of collusion "undermines the capacity of the state to actively pursue the many substantiated acts of collusion committed in the conflict".

They also say the findings impugn the good name of the Garda Siochana and the work it did in fighting paramilitarism.

After analysing the report "line by line" they criticise the Smithwick inquiry both for its conclusions and its methods.

Colluded
The three believe Judge Smithwick should have given greater weight to the statements of former IRA members that the killings resulted from a long-standing surveillance operation in which there was no garda involvement.

The IRA gave evidence to the inquiry but no member appeared in person to allow themselves to be cross-examined and challenged about their version of what happened.

The officers accuse Judge Smithwick of accepting information given in private by PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris that unidentified garda members had colluded in the murders.

Commissioner Callinan's senior counsel described that Drew Harris evidence to the tribunal as "nonsense on stilts".

Despite this clash the two police services say they are fully united in the cross-border battle against crime and dissident republicans.


Agent Orange

A former garda sergeant, has been awarded €390,000 for post-traumatic stress after a masked man pointed a gun at him and told him to "get the f**k out of here, or else"
Now matter how thorugh your training, and how much you accept the occupational hazzards of confronting gun crime in a police force, the reality of facing a loaded weapon is almost certainly very different than in theory, and there's no accounting for an individual's response.
Still, is it entirely unfair to suggest a garda who was so profoundly traumatised by the sight of a gun that he was unable to work again might, possibly, have been in the wrong job?

Blowitupref

A Garda shot in Castlerea County Roscommon shortly before midnight tonight, he has what is to believed to life threatening injuries. One man has been arrested.
Is the ref going to finally blow his whistle?... No, he's going to blow his nose

Never beat the deeler

Quote from: Blowitupref on June 18, 2020, 02:26:24 AM
A Garda shot in Castlerea County Roscommon shortly before midnight tonight, he has what is to believed to life threatening injuries. One man has been arrested.

RTE reporting he has passed away. May he rest in peace

Thoughts with his family, friends and colleagues. This is desperate stuff
Hasta la victoria siempre

Blowitupref

Quote from: Never beat the deeler on June 18, 2020, 06:24:49 AM
Quote from: Blowitupref on June 18, 2020, 02:26:24 AM
A Garda shot in Castlerea County Roscommon shortly before midnight tonight, he has what is to believed to life threatening injuries. One man has been arrested.

RTE reporting he has passed away. May he rest in peace

Thoughts with his family, friends and colleagues. This is desperate stuff

Awful news RIP https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0617/1148139-garda-shooting/
Is the ref going to finally blow his whistle?... No, he's going to blow his nose

Farrandeelin

Terrible news. RIP and sincere condolences to his family.
Inaugural Football Championship Prediction Winner.

Hound

Quote from: Farrandeelin on June 18, 2020, 08:22:24 AM
Terrible news. RIP and sincere condolences to his family.
Absolutely awful.

With the recent events in America, him having a gun was a complete handicap. Both the Garda and the sc**bag would have realised there's no way the Garda can use a gun on an unarmed man. Once the sc**bag gets it, the rules change.

There would have been protests on the streets had the Garda shot the sc**bag. Especially if the sc**bag turns out to be from a particular community.

Devastating for the family and for the Gardai.

five points

Quote from: Hound on June 18, 2020, 10:29:14 AM
Quote from: Farrandeelin on June 18, 2020, 08:22:24 AM
Terrible news. RIP and sincere condolences to his family.
Absolutely awful.

With the recent events in America, him having a gun was a complete handicap. Both the Garda and the sc**bag would have realised there's no way the Garda can use a gun on an unarmed man. Once the sc**bag gets it, the rules change.

There would have been protests on the streets had the Garda shot the sc**bag. Especially if the sc**bag turns out to be from a particular community.

Devastating for the family and for the Gardai.

I agree 100%. The poor man was as much a victim of the recent hysteria as of the lowlife who shot him.