'Rape Tape' Sergeant's retirement party turns sour

mayo | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Saturday March 10, 2012 18:46

by Press release

Garda threats and one person arrested in Belmullet protest outside the infamous Sgt. James Gill's retirement party

Friday 9th March at 6.30pm a group of two-dozen campaigners and Erris residents gathered outside the Broadhaven Bay Hotel in Belmullet, Co. Mayo where ex 'rape tape' Sergeant James Gill was having his retirement party.

The ex-sergeant himself

The protest was called because many people felt it was 'grossly inappropriate' for Gardaí to be celebrating a person who is still under investigation by the Garda Ombudsman for his comments about raping two women in police custody last April. [1]

Mr Gill - a long-term officer involved in the continuing Corrib gas debacle - is also currently embroiled in a civil suit against fisherman and Shell to Sea campaigner Pat 'The Chief' O'Donnell. [2]

The protest was held in a public place outside the entrance to the hotel, but Gardaí smashed and stole people's signs and threatened them with batons. Martin McDonnell of Glenamoy was also arrested.

Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway commented "Any celebration of this man is an insult to our community, and is a particular insult to women the day after International Women's Day, given the controversy over the so-called 'rape tape' investigation, which is still ongoing."

"We will continue to seek justice and exercise our rights, and the authorities need to take a good look at what is happening to our community and address the real problems with Corrib" Mr Conway concluded.

ENDS

FOR VERIFICATION CONTACT:

Terence Conway
Maura Harrington

LINKS:
[1] 'Rape tape' report: http://shelltosea.com/content/%E2%80%98give-me-your-nam...icing
[2] Court report from ex-sergeant Gill's defamation case: http://shelltosea.com/content/court-report-%E2%80%9Crap...30000
[3] Mayo News report on defamation case: http://shelltosea.com/content/chief-cries-foul

Outside the Broadhaven Bay Hotel

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Comments (7 of 7)

50% of this mans ample pension will be paid by women for whom he evidently has little regard

by lefty

Sat Mar 10, 2012 18:56

Good protest! He deserved a little injection of reality into his celebrations.
I guess he'll get a nice fat pension too, 50% of which is paid by women for whom he evidently has little regard.

for those not knowing the background to this:
https://www.indymedia.ie/article/99813
https://www.indymedia.ie/article/99445

Great work again

by Caobhin

Sat Mar 10, 2012 22:33

And the scumbag thuggery of his buddies reactions outside the hotel shows that you hit a nerve, maith thu a chairde!

well done

by m - london Rising Tide

Sun Mar 11, 2012 09:58

Delighted to see this protest
Holding this "celebration" in a local venue just shows how arrogant and ignorant the pigs are.

Sign

by photo

Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:19

This is one of the signs stolen by the guards on the night

ACAB

by Celia S

Wed Mar 14, 2012 15:50

Nice one

ACAB

Has he moved yet!

by Anna - TRAVELLING

Sun Dec 28, 2014 17:23

Has he moved yet? Surely he can not continue to live among you all. An outcast, if he has no shame - his family must have, you'd think! How the mighty fall in the end - just an old retired man, disliked for his past wrongs.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel

by craghopper - n/a

Sat Jan 03, 2015 22:10

Standards for admission to the Garda Soichana are rather low hence the calibre displayed by this member. Well done on a constructive campaign. Wonder did the GS check them for drunken driving en-route home afterwards?

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'Rape Tape' Sergeant's retirement party turns sour

Comments (7 of 7)