Overview
- After a July trial, a jury unanimously convicted Murphy of assault causing harm for actions on Dublin’s Essex Street and later at Pearse Street Garda Station.
- The court found he flipped the handcuffed 17-year-old, causing a fractured skull and brain bleed; the teenager spent three days in hospital and later recovered.
- Evidence described a “spear tackle” and a “leg sweep” during efforts to disperse street drinking under Covid restrictions, which the judge said did not justify the force used.
- An internal referral to the Garda Ombudsman, now Fiosrú, followed a colleague’s concerns, and Murphy was suspended as eyewitnesses came forward with statements.
- The court considered a €10,000 compensation offer and restorative justice; the teenager declined restorative engagement and may seek civil damages.