'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)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Good 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
And the scumbag thuggery of his buddies reactions outside the hotel shows that you hit a nerve, maith thu a chairde!
Delighted to see this protest
Holding this "celebration" in a local venue just shows how arrogant and ignorant the pigs are.
This is one of the signs stolen by the guards on the night
Nice one
ACAB
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.
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?