HC Deb 08 May 1884 vol 287 cc1674-5
MR. O'BRIEN

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been drawn to the evidence given at Ballinasloe Petty Sessions on April 26th, from which it appeared that a young man named Goode, arrested on a charge of assault which was afterwards dismissed, was locked up from a quarter to twelve o'clock at night until seven o'clock in the morning in a police cell with a man named M'Donagh, who was in a state of furious drunkenness, and who made a series of savage attacks on Goode during the night, biting the index finger of his right hand through and almost severing the joint; whether it appeared that the orderly visited the cell three times during the night, and saw the men in conflict, but declined to separate them, notwithstanding Goode's shrieks for assistance; whether, notwithstanding the direction of Mr. Fowler, J.P., that M'Donagh should be prosecuted for the assault, he was allowed to leave Ballinasloe without being made amenable; if so, by whose default; and, whether an inquiry will be directed into the conduct of the police in the transaction?

MR. TREVELYAN

The facts appear to be that two prisoners named Goode and M'Donagh, who were being detained in a strong room of the barrack, quarrelled, and assaulted each other during the night. The injuries inflicted were not all on one side; but, on the contrary, Goode appears to have been the aggressor. The orderly heard quarrelling, and went to the strong room three times during the night, but saw nothing of a sufficiently serious character to induce him to remove one of the men. It is not the case that Mr. Fowler, J.P., directed that M'Donagh should be prosecuted for assaulting Goode; but he did direct that Goode should be prosecuted. A cross case was subsequently brought against M'Donagh by Goode, and both were convicted and fined. At the hearing of these cases there was a conflict of evidence between the barrack orderly and Goode, as to the latter having called for assistance; and, under the circumstances, a charge of neglect of duty has been preferred against the orderly. This charge is still pending.