HC Deb 23 July 1903 vol 126 cc81-2
MR. DUFFY (Galway, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that at the Petty Sessions Court held at Ardrahan, County Galway, recently, a number of peasants were summoned by the police for disorderly conduct; that it was sworn to the satisfaction of the magistrates that a police man named Lyons provoked the row by hustling the people about when under the influence of drink; that the magistrates adjudicating censured the police for their action on the occasion, and dismissed all the summonses except in the case of two men who admitted they were provoked into committing an assault by the action of Lyons; and, if so, whether, in view of the relations existing between Sergeant Walker, Constable Lyons, and the people of the district, he will take steps to have them transferred to some other district.

MR. ATKINSON (for Mr. WYNDHAM)

The prosecutions referred to arose out of a disturbance at a fair near Ardrahan on the 22nd ultimo. Constable Lyons was assaulted on the occasion, and was six days non-effective from the injuries he received. Sergeant Walker and another constable who went to his assistance were also assaulted. Two of the defendants, who had been remanded in custody for periods of 14 and 4 days respectively, were fined in sums of 20s. each and costs. The cases against the other defendants were dismissed without prejudice. It was alleged that Constable Lyons was under the influence of drink, but the allegation was not borne out by the evidence. The action of the police was not censured by the magistrate; Sergeant Walker was complimented by the solicitor for the accused for the fair manner in which he gave his evidence, and the, attack upon the police was admitted by one of the accused to have been preconcerted. The reply to the concluding inquiry is in the negative.

MR. DUFFY

The right hon. Gentle I man says the constable was non-effective for six days after the assault. Is he aware that on the day after the assault he was well enough to escort the accused to Galway Prison, a distance of fourteen miles?

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! It is I impossible to discuss these disputed matters of detail by Question and Answer.

MR. DUFFY

Seeing that the con stable was censured, will the right hon. Gentleman take the latter part of my Question into consideration.

MR. ATKINSON

I have said they were not censured.