Would this be considered impersonating a member of An Garda Siochána?

The Singing Beard

I was reading on another thread that apparently someone was standing on the side of the road with a hair dryer and people thought he was a Garda and hence slowed down .. a good bit of trolling, if you ask me. Would he actually or could he actually have been done for impersonating a member of An Garda Siochána? I mean, there is hardly any laws against standing there with a hair dryer in ones hand. Furthermore, if one were to stand with a reflective jacket on how would one fare?? What if one went one step further and wore a uniform SIMILAR to that of The Garda Siochána, but not identical to it. Such as black shoes, black slacks, with a sky-blue shirt and black tie with a sleeveless reflective jacket, again, one would only be wearing clothes readily available from the drapery in Dunnes Stores holding an implement available in Argos ...is there anything illegal here?? I'm obviously not going to try it, as I have better things to be doing. This may sound like After Hours crap, but I'm genuinely interested what the story would be.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

The Singing Beard

What about GADRA (sic).

Could you get charged with trying to mislead or impersonate then?

srsly78

I do not believe there are laws specifically protecting dyslexics. If there were imagine the legal minefield about dog worship and people confusing legal with illegal etc.

Pro Hoc Vice

Let's look at the a full act

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0020/sec0060.html

What is says

60.— (1) A person is guilty of an offence if he or she—

(a) impersonates a member of the Garda Síochána, or

(b) makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he or she is such a member.

60 (1) (a) is clear enough but (b) could in be interpreted to include the OP I assume (but have no case law) that the test would be the reasonable man test, would a reasonable man think the act was calculated to falsely suggest that the person was a member of AGS.

http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/teacher-freed-on-appeal-in-garda-uniform-case-29363234.html

catallus

What are you planning OP?!

Bepolite

Victor

Strawwwbreeezz wrote: »

What about GADRA (sic).

Could you get charged with trying to mislead or impersonate then?

That would be rather, ehh, dangerous as 'CAPITALISED' words can be easily mistaken by many people, not just people with dyslexia.

"Gadaí" (thief) would be another interesting one.

gozunda

Strawwwbreeezz wrote: »

I was reading on another thread that apparently someone was standing on the side of the road with a hair dryer and people thought he was a Garda and hence slowed down .. a good bit of trolling, if you ask me. Would he actually or could he actually have been done for impersonating a member of An Garda Siochána? I mean, there is hardly any laws against standing there with a hair dryer in ones hand. Furthermore, if one were to stand with a reflective jacket on how would one fare?? What if one went one step further and wore a uniform SIMILAR to that of The Garda Siochána, but not identical to it. Such as black shoes, black slacks, with a sky-blue shirt and black tie with a sleeveless reflective jacket, again, one would only be wearing clothes readily available from the drapery in Dunnes Stores holding an implement available in Argos ...is there anything illegal here?? I'm obviously not going to try it, as I have better things to be doing. This may sound like After Hours crap, but I'm genuinely interested what the story would be.

"Trolling" in what sense? The poster or the impersonator?

The act if impersonating a Garda would appear to be common enough if the following news stories are to be believed

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/garda-impersonator-fitted-siren-and-lights-to-car-480988.html

This one is even more sinister

http://www.herald.ie/news/fake-garda-caught-with-child-porn-and-gun-stash-27955588.html

Bepolite

http://www.theonion.com/articles/who-knew-it-would-be-so-easy-to-impersonate-a-prie,10764/

gozunda

No profession is immune allegedly ...

http://quantumvaleat.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/conman-who-pretended-to-be-a-lawyer-jailed/