Garda in YouTube inquiry moved to new role
Monday June 18 2007
A GARDA at the centre of an internal investigation into a YouTube video has been transferred to other duties.
Investigators have now interviewed all of the gardai who appeared on the video, apparently filmed on a mobile phone.
But it is expected to be at least a month before a report on the investigation will be completed. After the report has been studied, garda management will decide if there should be a disciplinary inquiry into the incident.
The video showed a garda appearing to mock a member of the public after answering a telephone call at Kingscourt station in Co Cavan.
A senior officer disclosed last night that the garda has been transferred from his post on the local traffic unit to other duties, pending the outcome of the investigation.
"Due process must now take place and it will be several weeks before the report is finalised," he added.
Senior gardai in the region were alerted to the video on YouTube and immediately appointed a superintendent, Gerry Giblin, who is based in Cavan town, to carry out an investigation.
Efforts are now being made to establish if the video was circulated to a large number of mobile phones and to determine the identity of the the person who posted it onto the internet.
The man making the phone call to Kingscourt station was identified as Brendan Campbell, who was known locally for making regular complaints to gardai, mostly about boy racers in the area.
Last year, Mr Campbell appeared at Bailieboro district court on a charge of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour or words.
He was found guilty and fined €500. He was also bound to keep the peace for two years.
The court was told that Mr Campbell had made claims about boy racers speeding around his area, but when gardai investigated they found none.
However, Mr Campbell continued to make phone calls to the station.
A separate investigation into the YouTube incident is to be carried out by the recently established Garda Ombudsman Commission.
But it will not produce any findings until the garda investigation has been completed.
- Tom Brady
