A GARDA had convictions for assault causing harm to two young women successfully overturned after a Circuit Court judge said he had "a reasonable doubt" about precisely what happened when a row erupted over a €15 fee for a spin home.

Garda Brian Hanrahan (34) today won his appeal before Tipperary Circuit Court against Nenagh District Court convictions for assault causing harm to Emer Kelly and Aisling King on March 6 2016.

The man, who was off-duty at the time, was convicted last year in the district court and received a six month suspended sentence.

He faced dismissal from the Gardaí if the convictions were upheld.

Judge Tom Teehan ruled that he was allowing the Limerick-based Garda's Circuit Court appeal on the basis of doubts he had about the precise circumstances of the alleged incident and the garda's insistence he acted entirely in self defence.

"I have a doubt which is a reasonable doubt," he said.

"That is not to say that I am disbelieving the three young (female) occupants of the car.

"But there is a residual doubt concerning the guilt of Mr Hanrahan."

Judge Teehan allowed the appeal and overturned the two convictions for assault causing harm.

He specifically cited claims by the two women that Ms Kelly had been subjected to around six blows, Mr Hanrahan's evidence that just a single blow was struck and the medical evidence submitted.

Mr Hanrahan insisted it was "ridiculous" to claim he had struck Ms Kelly six to eight times.

The Garda, who is a father of two young girls, closed his eyes and sighed as the verdict was returned.

His wife, who sat beside him throughout the hearing, clasped his hand.

The Garda of Ballintotty, Nenagh, Co Tipperary - but who is based at Henry Street in Limerick - had vehemently denied assaulting Ms Kelly and Ms King in the early hours of March 6 2016.

A dispute had erupted in Ms King's vehicle after the off-duty Garda had offered to pay €15 for a spin home after failing to hail a taxi in Nenagh town centre at 4am following a night out socialising.

Ms King had stopped her car and ordered Mr Hanrahan out of the vehicle after she and her friends claimed he had passed insulting comments about Nenagh and was speaking aggressively.

They claimed he said Nenagh was "a kip" and full of "scumbags."

Mr Hanrahan said he immediately got out of the car as requested and insisted that all his subsequent actions were in self defence.

Ms Kelly got out of the car to ask for the promised €15 but the three young women claimed she was immediately punched in the face by Mr Hanrahan.

The Garda is six foot three inches in height and of medium build.

Ms Kelly is five foot three inches in height and of slight build.

"I was defending myself - I was scared," the Garda told the court.

"Every part of this evidence is me trying to get home.

"At the time I felt I did what I had to do - but I am sorry for it."

The young Garda said he punched Ms Kelly in the face but only after he claimed she "launched herself" at him in a dispute over the fee for the spin.

He said he was desperately trying to fend her off outside the isolated Lisbunny graveyard while her friends in the car laughed at what was happening.

"I hit her - with my right hand. I am sorry about everything that happened but more so about that."

He insisted he did not strike her a full-force blow.

"I didn't want to hit her but in the situation I was in, I felt I had to.

"I knew in my head - I knew there was going to be trouble.

"If I could take it all back I would. It's easily the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

"I am sorry the girl got hurt. I just wanted it to stop. I just wanted to go home."

Mr Hanrahan described the scene at Lisbunny as like "a frenzy".

When a second car pulled up, just as he had retreated into the graveyard, he thought that "the Nenagh boys they (the girls) were talking about" had arrived and feared for his safety.

In fact, nightclub security man Eddie Ryan had stopped to assist the distraught young women after seeing a tall man holding a girl by the hair.

In the 999 call he made to Gardaí from the scene, Mr Hanrahan claimed he was confronted by "a crowd of f***king psychos" and identified himself as an off-duty Garda.

"There are six to eight of them here. They tried to have a go at me but I fought them all off."

Garda Joan Larkin, who attended the Lisbunny scene, said she saw Mr Hanrahan "staggering on the road....quite drunk."

Ms Kelly was hysterical and bleeding from the mouth.

Clumps of her hair were on the ground.

Ms Kelly subsequently required €510 worth of dental repair treatment.

Garda Hanrahan made headlines in 2015 when he was shot while on holidays in New Orleans in the US.

He had been withdrawing cash from an ATM when an armed robber attacked and shot him.

Online Editors