It's official: Gardai are above the law.

hatrickpatrick · 29-05-2011 10:24PM

You have been arguing throughout this entire thread that the fact that this guy is a Gard is irrelevant.
I can't believe it's taken 30 pages to clarify your position.
*facepalm*

Paddy De Plasterer · 29-05-2011 10:28PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

You have been arguing throughout this entire thread that the fact that this guy is a Gard is irrelevant.
I can't believe it's taken 30 pages to clarify your position.
*facepalm*

you are not referring to me it seems-clarify

hatrickpatrick · 29-05-2011 10:29PM

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

you are not referring to me it seems-clarify

Referring to AudreyHepburn, didn't know there had been further posts since then.

Dee42 · 29-05-2011 10:30PM

Regardless of whether Mr. Foley was at the time of the assault an on duty or off duty Garda is neither here nor there. By his actions he defined himself to be a vicious, violent dangerous thug and unfit to serve in a position where he has a duty of care to the general public.

There is one point that I am unsure about, and maybe one of the posters on this thread could give an answer to.

Throughout the thread Mr. Foley is consistently referred to as an ex garda. However, my understanding from the reading of the case is that Mr. Foley was on suspension from the Gardai up to the passing down of his sentence. I believe he has been on suspension for the past 2 years.

Do Gardai who are on suspension pending the outcome of an investigation receive a salary?
Could it be possible that the State has been paying this person while he was waiting for his day in court?

cordub · 29-05-2011 10:39PM

Dee42 wrote: »

Regardless of whether Mr. Foley was at the time of the assault an on duty or off duty Garda is neither here nor there. By his actions he defined himself to be a vicious, violent dangerous thug and unfit to serve in a position where he has a duty of care to the general public.

There is one point that I am unsure about, and maybe one of the posters on this thread could give an answer to.

Throughout the thread Mr. Foley is consistently referred to as an ex garda. However, my understanding from the reading of the case is that Mr. Foley was on suspension from the Gardai up to the passing down of his sentence. I believe he has been on suspension for the past 2 years.

Do Gardai who are on suspension pending the outcome of an investigation receive a salary?
Could it be possible that the State has been paying this person while he was waiting for his day in court?

Yes he would have been paid since being on suspension as he would have legally innocent !!! and once again the fact he was a garda is highly relevant as he would NOT have gotten a suspended sentence for what he did if he were NOT a garda!!!!! isnt this the whole point of this thread !!!!

Dee42 · 29-05-2011 10:41PM

Sorry, please let me clarify. I'm not saying the fact that he was a Garda is irrelevant. I am saying the fact whether he was on or off duty at the time of the attack is irrelevant.

Dyr · 29-05-2011 10:42PM

K-9 wrote: »

And the same Gardai bashers on thread after thread!

I'd imagine you'd go to jail if you bashed a garda

AudreyHepburn · 29-05-2011 10:50PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

You have been arguing throughout this entire thread that the fact that this guy is a Gard is irrelevant.
I can't believe it's taken 30 pages to clarify your position.
*facepalm*

I'll say again stop with self righteousness, it does nothing for you.

I meant it was irrelevant to the crime he committed and should have been irrelevant to his punishment.

My problem was I was afraid people were going to use it as a reason to critise ALL Gardai ie all Gardai are thugs, all Gardai are above the all etc etc.

Obviously the law needs changing but if you were in court, facing jail and you realised that there were a clause that could get you out of it I have no doubt you'd use it. It may not be right, but it is human nature. And the judge was bound by the law. Legally Foley had every right to mitigation and the judge was obligated to grant it.

round tower huntsman · 29-05-2011 10:50PM

was talking bout this case in work last week.
i said its about time that cops were seen to be punishable by the law, i was surprised that this thug was actually in court and delighted to see a dirt bag like him locked up and loose his job and pension..............

suprpise surprise by the time i got home he walked:mad:
thugs in uniform,law unto themselves.

Dee42 · 29-05-2011 11:09PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

I'll say again stop with self righteousness, it does nothing for you.

I meant it was irrelevant to the crime he committed and should have been irrelevant to his punishment.

My problem was I was afraid people were going to use it as a reason to critise ALL Gardai ie all Gardai are thugs, all Gardai are above the all etc etc.

Obviously the law needs changing but if you were in court, facing jail and you realised that there were a clause that could get you out of it I have no doubt you'd use it. It may not be right, but it is human nature. And the judge was bound by the law. Legally Foley had every right to mitigation and the judge was obligated to grant it.

Does it not have every relevance to the crime he committed? That an individual who by nature of his position as upholder of the law should beat a man senseless because of a drunken remark? Surely Gardai have a responsibility to have a higher level of responsibility for their behaviour at all times?

questioner · 30-05-2011 11:02AM

thats me in the red helmet kickin sum guy in the head. pretty tasty!! dean here livin in blarney "working" in Bantry. i use that term loosely. those who know me will understand that. !

playing soccer, being with my buddies chillin out and of couse and droppin pussies in the ring or on the mats. washing my cars or bike, installing sound systems and setting new high scores in bowling (160) to crush beakeys new high score (144) which was still lower dan my last high score(152) and so on. Also enjoy bringin my new bike for spins round d place. instant freedom and clear mind! things that piss me off 1. Stupid people.
2. People who think i care about the car thats been parked in the carpark for 6 weeks.
3. Passport forms.7. when stupid animals run in front of cars breaking splitters that i payed good money for. he wont do it again anyway

http://skin.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=555402023

and he sounds like such a nice guy and all. speaks volumes about the standard of behaviour expected in the force nowadays that a guard can feel free to publish that sort of stuff without fear of censure.

charlemont · 30-05-2011 02:12PM

questioner wrote: »

http://skin.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=555402023

and he sounds like such a nice guy and all. speaks volumes about the standard of behaviour expected in the force nowadays that a guard can feel free to publish that sort of stuff without fear of censure.

Thats crazy, You would think he would have more sense than that.. So he is into kickboxing too, No wonder his victim got such a hiding..

Rapist glasses !!! pedophile beards !! WTF That guy is cuckoo ....

Dyr · 30-05-2011 02:21PM

questioner wrote: »

http://skin.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=555402023

and he sounds like such a nice guy and all. speaks volumes about the standard of behaviour expected in the force nowadays that a guard can feel free to publish that sort of stuff without fear of censure.

Seems like a stand up fella to me. Owns a least two liner lock knives which would be illegal, maybe the gardai could do him on that or the crappy samurai swords and his sentence will be reimposed :pac:

That or the simpsons kiddy porn...

neveah · 30-05-2011 02:39PM

Dee42 wrote: »

Regardless of whether Mr. Foley was at the time of the assault an on duty or off duty Garda is neither here nor there. By his actions he defined himself to be a vicious, violent dangerous thug and unfit to serve in a position where he has a duty of care to the general public.

There is one point that I am unsure about, and maybe one of the posters on this thread could give an answer to.

Throughout the thread Mr. Foley is consistently referred to as an ex garda. However, my understanding from the reading of the case is that Mr. Foley was on suspension from the Gardai up to the passing down of his sentence. I believe he has been on suspension for the past 2 years.

Do Gardai who are on suspension pending the outcome of an investigation receive a salary?
Could it be possible that the State has been paying this person while he was waiting for his day in court?

Yes they do get paid but as far as I am aware it's a reduced amount of money because they don't get their night shift allowance as they aren't working nights and I think they may lose some other allowances as well but I'm not sure.

znv6i3h7kqf9ys · 30-05-2011 02:44PM

Bambi wrote: »

That or the simpsons kiddy porn...

There was a case in England where a guy got banged up for that. He thinks it's funny stuff.

angry_fox · 30-05-2011 03:10PM

Bambi wrote: »

I'd imagine you'd go to jail if you bashed a garda

well you can knock down and kill a Garda and get away with manslaughter so i doubt you will do time for "bashing" a Garda

Dee42 · 30-05-2011 03:21PM

questioner wrote: »

http://skin.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=555402023

and he sounds like such a nice guy and all. speaks volumes about the standard of behaviour expected in the force nowadays that a guard can feel free to publish that sort of stuff without fear of censure.

This is beyond belief. Could this possibly be another Dean Foley? If it is ex garda Foley I cant believe that a member of the gardai could get away with posting that kind of drivel on the internet. I know in the army there is a very strict policy about what its members can post on the internet and it is very strictly policed and enforced. If this actually ex Garda Foleys bebo account it indicates that not only is he a vicious, violent convicted criminal but a mindless moron to boot. And this is the caliber of people we have upholding law and order in our country?

Dyr · 30-05-2011 03:36PM

Dee42 wrote: »

This is beyond belief. Could this possibly be another Dean Foley?

Could be a dean foley who works in the passport office and then moonlights as a lockhard?

2. People who think i care about the car thats been parked in the carpark for 6 weeks.
3. Passport forms.

charlemont · 30-05-2011 04:03PM

Bambi wrote: »

Could be a dean foley who works in the passport office and then moonlights as a lockhard?

Lives in Blarney works in Bantry.... Its him alright.

montane · 30-05-2011 04:13PM

I thought the force upheld some kind of standards when it was accepting entrants. This guy is obviously a complete retard.

Nice to see he put all his kickboxing training to good use when he kicked his victim, who was drunk and simply making his way home, unconscious. His victim's words say it all - ""I bear no ill will. I was only trying to go home that night. I wasn't looking for any trouble. I still cannot remember much".

At least Foley has been exposed as the scumbag that he is, and is no longer working with the Gardai where he would have been a danger to the public.

I presume the DPP, if they are worth anything, are going to appeal this ridiculous sentence.

montane · 30-05-2011 04:21PM

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Thirdly, I dont think he "beat him to a pulp" although i don't doubt his injuries were substantial. He punched him a few times in response to some homophobic comments. He was unfortunate in that his punches did so much damage to the victim. His fight was no different to the dozens of drunken brawls that happen every weekend all over the country. It's very unlikely he meant to do that much harm to him.

Your statement is completely idiotic.

The judge told Foley on Thursday that he was concerned about the violence of the assault which left Mr Murphy unconscious with broken cheekbones, a broken nose and broken teeth. Murphy was also left with a bleed on his brain, and it was submitted in evidence that he was far too drunk to defend himself.

Dee42 · 30-05-2011 04:25PM

yes, I was hoping this was a piss take, but I've just seen a photo album on this bebo account titled Drunken Fun, and he is in it. I wonder does drunken fun include beating a man senseless? Oh no, it was the victim who was drunk at the time. My sympathies are truely with Mr. Murphy.

questioner · 30-05-2011 05:30PM

its a pity this wasnt lead in evidence considering the defence brought up his previous good standing in the force. Complete thug with a badge. There are serious questions to be asked of his superiors.

Gardai, solicitors, members of the judiciary and anyone with an intimate knowledge of the criminal justice system should be held to a higher standard of culpability then the ordinary man in the street. If a Garda is killed in the line of duty its front page news, if jim the blocklayer is killed in work its a statistic. Gardai cant enojy the respect and elevated status that comes with being a policeman without a corresponding increase in civic responsibility.

MagicSean · 30-05-2011 06:32PM

montane wrote: »

Your statement is completely idiotic.

The judge told Foley on Thursday that he was concerned about the violence of the assault which left Mr Murphy unconscious with broken cheekbones, a broken nose and broken teeth. Murphy was also left with a bleed on his brain, and it was submitted in evidence that he was far too drunk to defend himself.

I was going by reports in the papers which were very vague in their descriptions of the actual assault. I've since discovered that he was a kickboxer. I think that this should be held against him as opposed to his occupation.

questioner wrote: »

its a pity this wasnt lead in evidence considering the defence brought up his previous good standing in the force. Complete thug with a badge. There are serious questions to be asked of his superiors.

Gardai, solicitors, members of the judiciary and anyone with an intimate knowledge of the criminal justice system should be held to a higher standard of culpability then the ordinary man in the street. If a Garda is killed in the line of duty its front page news, if jim the blocklayer is killed in work its a statistic. Gardai cant enojy the respect and elevated status that comes with being a policeman without a corresponding increase in civic responsibility.

I'm sorry but are you suggesting a persons bebo page should be admissable as evidence in a court case? What about local rumours about them? Why bother with any evidence when their facebook status says they like gettin drunk. A ridiculous suggestion.

Why should having an intimate knowledge of the criminal justice system count against you? What about people who do law degrees and don't go into the legal field?

If a Garda is killed or assaulted in the line of duty the killer often gets off light. Look back at your history. If Jim blocklayer was killed by another person it would be front page news. You may have forgotten a young plumber caught in a hit not too long ago.

I like how this thread has mutated. At first it was "Gardaí should be treated the same as anyone else". Now it has moved on to "Gardaí should be crucified because they spend their days trying to assist people". And of course, god forbid they should have a private life outside of work. They shouldn't even be allowed take the uniform off.

If you want a Garda to be a Garda 24/7 then you should really be paying them 24/7. This doesn't happen. They get paid for 40 hours a week just like everyone else. They get no thank you or payment for doing anything outside of their shifts.

Over the last few Garda bashing threads it would seem what you good people want is a Garda who is fast as an athlete, smart as a scientist, able to read minds, work like a robot, prosecute their own cases, be as strong as Arnie, a martial arts expert, spend all their time hunting criminals (but still be able to spend half an hour talking to someone about their neighbours dog barking) and be as sensitive as a counsellor. And all this is supposed to be imparted to them in the 18 months of training they get. And lets not forget the screening process which is supposed to be able to tell everything a candidate will go through over the next 30 years in the job nd wether they might get drunk one night and attack someone. Have I forgotten anything? Oh yes, they also should be able to do this at cost price and with wage and budget cuts.

Yes, thats perfectly reasonable.

JohnathanM · 30-05-2011 07:05PM

Dee42 wrote: »

yes, I was hoping this was a piss take, but I've just seen a photo album on this bebo account titled Drunken Fun, and he is in it.

Certainly looks like him, alright:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/images/tile/2011/0528/1224297952560_1.jpg?ts=1306777841
http://i3.bebo.com/014a/7/large/2007/07/31/20/286963781a5145191695l.jpg

Perhaps his page is ironic, but I doubt it. Good riddance to an utter bag of shyte.

sesna · 30-05-2011 07:06PM

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Over the last few Garda bashing threads it would seem what you good people want is a Garda who is fast as an athlete, smart as a scientist, able to read minds, work like a robot, prosecute their own cases, be as strong as Arnie, a martial arts expert, spend all their time hunting criminals (but still be able to spend half an hour talking to someone about their neighbours dog barking) and be as sensitive as a counsellor. And all this is supposed to be imparted to them in the 18 months of training they get. And lets not forget the screening process which is supposed to be able to tell everything a candidate will go through over the next 30 years in the job nd wether they might get drunk one night and attack someone. Have I forgotten anything? Oh yes, they also should be able to do this at cost price and with wage and budget cuts.

Yes, thats perfectly reasonable.

All that is expected from the guards is a basic level of courtesy (same as any employee anywhere in the state) and competence in their field of work. Not too much to ask. What you have said is expected of them is complete nonsense.

I wouldnt expect any garda to be on duty 24/7. That said, while off duty he should be able to restrain himself from attacking a passerby, leaving him with a brain haemorrhage, broken teeth and bones.

The statement about wage and budget cuts is ridiculous. The guards are well paid, get generous overtime and receive a state pension when they retire. Is it your contention that it's okay for them to go around assaulting people while off-duty because they have inurred a levy for their generous state pension? Or even that it's okay for them to diminish their work productivity in any way? Most people who have suffered cuts are working longer hours and doing more than 5 years ago.

Vizzy · 30-05-2011 07:39PM

I haven't read any of the papers on this but I understand that Foleys lawyer argued that a Garda would suffer more than normal if he was imprisoned.Even heard John Lonergan( ex Mountjoy governor) say the same thing today.
(Maybe this would be the case and maybe not but my attitude would be if you can't do the time don't do the crime)

Anyway,is it not immaterial now as Foley resigned as a Garda on Saturday i.e he is no longer a Garda,so can he not be sentenced/punished as an "ordinary citizen " now ?

hatrickpatrick · 30-05-2011 08:01PM

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

And of course, god forbid they should have a private life outside of work. They shouldn't even be allowed take the uniform off.

If you want a Garda to be a Garda 24/7 then you should really be paying them 24/7. This doesn't happen. They get paid for 40 hours a week just like everyone else. They get no thank you or payment for doing anything outside of their shifts.

Then why do they get Garda privileges in relation to crimes committed outside of their shifts? That's the issue here, everything else is irrelevant. Preferential treatment for somebody because and only because of their profession.

MagicSean · 30-05-2011 08:02PM

sesna wrote: »

Is it your contention that it's okay for them to go around assaulting people while off-duty because they have inurred a levy for their generous state pension? Or even that it's okay for them to diminish their work productivity in any way?

Yes that's clearly what I said :rolleyes:

sesna · 30-05-2011 08:03PM

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

Yes that's clearly what I said :rolleyes:

It was hard to sift through all the hyperbolic crap, but thats what I thought.

It's official: Gardai are above the law.

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