GARDAÍ ACCUSED OF pepper spraying a woman and of refusing her water and medical attention following an altercation have been cleared following an investigation by the Garda Ombudsman.

GSOC investigated following a complaint made by the woman in question.

She had been involved in a physical altercation with her boyfriend on the street.

The woman claimed that she was then pepper sprayed by gardaí in a squad car, before being refused said medical attention at a Garda station.

The woman claimed there were no witnesses to her complaint.

A witness to the altercation between the woman and her boyfriend was identified from cctv footage but the person “failed to co-operate with the investigation”, while Garda documentary evidence was obtained which “did not support the complainant’s account of the events”.

GSOC say there was no independent evidence to support the complainant’s allegations, while available evidence suggested that the woman “was intoxicated and aggressive” and that the garda concerned “provided a rationale for his decision to deploy the pepper spray”.

The documentary evidence in this case indicated that the complainant was provided with water at the garda station and there was no evidence that medical attention was requested.

GSOC subsequently determined that “it was neither reasonable nor practicable to carry out any further investigative steps into the complaint, so it was discontinued”.

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