Garda suspended for giving bike to isolated OAP during Covid exonerated of any wrongdoing

He was cleared of any wrongdoing after a disciplinary board rejected the internal breaches he was accused of.

A garda suspended for three years after giving a bicycle to an elderly man during the pandemic has been exonerated of any wrongdoing.

The officer was cleared of five disciplinary charges by an internal board of inquiry on Tuesday.

The matter was the subject of an investigation after the unclaimed bike was given to an isolated pensioner to use during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the necessary paperwork wasn’t completed.

The garda’s home was previously searched by detectives attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) in 2020, after which he was suspended.He was only reinstated late last year and confined to restricted duties after the NBCI probe determined that he had no criminal case to answer.

However, an internal inquiry into the garda’s actions continued.

He was on Tuesday cleared of any wrongdoing after a disciplinary board rejected the internal breaches he was accused of.

These included discreditable conduct, disobedience, misuse of property and neglect of duty.

The determination of the board of inquiry will be sent to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris who can accept, or reject, its findings.

The General Secretary of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), Ronan Slevin, has welcomed the decision.

In a statement he said: “We of course welcome the panel’s decision to recommend that the Commissioner completely clears the member of any wrongdoing and look forward to the publication of the full report.

“This was a case where good, decent community policing which is at the very heart of why we are trusted by the people we serve was blown apart and relationships destroyed.

“In essence I believe a sledgehammer of discipline was used to crack a nut and the reputation of a long serving member was damaged, his honesty questioned and his livelihood threatened.

“Unfortunately this once again shows the disconnect between management and those on the frontline and a lack of common sense and proportionality when investigating community facing policing issues.

“This has been systemic in AGS of late with a policy of ‘suspend first, ask questions later’ approach which has been instigated and overseen by garda management and supported by the commissioner.

“We will be raising this case and the processes involved when we meet with the Minister for Justice at her offices later today.”