§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if an inquiry was recently held into the conduct of Sergeant Cox, of the B. Division of the Dublin Metropolitan Police; whether as the result of this inquiry summonses issued on his report were withdrawn; whether these summonses were withdrawn owing to the contradictory nature of the reports made by Sergeant Cox and the sergeant in charge of the police station; and, if so, will he state whether Sergeant Cox was reprimanded or punished in any way.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Chief Commissioner informs me that no recent inquiry has been held in this matter. In December last Sergeant Cox reported a breach of the Licensing Laws by a publican, and a summons was ordered. It subsequently transpired that there was a difference in the recollection of Sergeant Cox and another policeman as to the precise words used by the publican's foreman, and, as this raised a doubt on a vital point, the publican was given the benefit of the doubt and the summons was not proceeded with. Sergeant Cox's veracity and conduct were in no way impugned, and he was not punished or reprimanded.