HC Deb 10 November 1882 vol 274 cc1182-3
MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is the fact that, as the result of a Constabulary Inquiry held on the 18th and 19th of September last, at the Constabulary Station in the town of Castlecomer, to investigate charges preferred by an Emergency man named Henslip against two sub-constables named John Mescal and James Barry, Mescal was fined £3, and Barry dismissed the Force; whether a charge arising out of the same evidence, and made by the same complainant, against Sub-Constable Mescal, was investigated by the Castlecomer Petty Sessions Bench, and dismissed on the merits by unanimous judgment of the magistrates; whether it is the fact that the case of Henslip rested on his own evidence solely, while the innocence of the sub-constables was testified by an auxiliary sub-constable and several civilian witnesses; and, whether the result of the Constabulary Inquiry will be reviewed?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, the facts are correctly stated in the first paragraph of the Question. The sub-constables were charged with several grave offences against discipline. The charges were inquired into by a Constabulary Court of Inquiry, and both men were found guilty of most of them. Sub-Constable Barry's previous conduct had been bad, and he had been warned that his next offence would cause his dismissal, and he was dismissed accord- ingly; but Sub-Constable Mescal was leniently dealt with, as his previous conduct had been good. A charge of assault, which was brought against Sub-Constable Mescal by the man Henslip, was investigated by the magistrates at Castle-comer Petty Sessions, and a majority of them were of opinion that the sub-constable was not guilty. Several witnesses testified to the offences againt discipline with which these men were charged but in the case of the auxiliary force policeman who swore to their innocence, the Court stated they could not give any credence to his evidence, as he swore a man was sober who admitted that he was drunk. The Inspector General informs me that he sees no necessity for reviewing the result of the proceedings; and, under the circumstances, I do not think it is a matter for Government to interfere in.