Jail for Garda ‘Peeping Tom’

Published: 05 October 2023

A Peeping Tom garda who was caught looking through the window of the women’s changing room at Clifden Garda Station has received a six-month prison sentence.

Judge Marie Keane told Galway District Court that a custodial sentence was appropriate in the case of Mícheal Mannion (41).

Mannion, a married father of two, with an address at Toorena, Renvyle, was convicted earlier this year of two charges of harassing two female colleagues at Clifden Garda Station, contrary to Section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Mannion, who the court heard received Garda commendations for his work in the area of sexual offences, denied harassing his supervising sergeant on dates between August 13 2019 and September 13 2019.

He denied a further charge of harassing another female garda colleague, also at Clifden Garda Station on dates between August 8 2019 and November 11 2019.

After the six-month sentence was handed down, recognisances were fixed in the event of an appeal and the garda remains free pending the outcome of his appeal in the Circuit Court.

Camera footage previously played in court showed Mannion on six occasions climbing an outdoor steel railing to look in the women’s dressing room at Clifden Garda Station.

One of the victims described Mannion’s behaviour as ‘callous and devious’. He has been on suspension since the garda investigation began.