SF Councillor assaulted by RUC
Children terrorised in dawn raid
A Sinn Féin Councillor in Armagh city is to take legal action
against the RUC after they assaulted him, raided his home,
terrorised his children and arrested him. Councillor Seán McGirr
said people in Armagh were ``disgusted'' at the behaviour of the
RUC in the weekend incident.
Councillor McGirr was in his home at 2.30am on Sunday 4 October
when he was asked to intervene in an altercation at a local taxi
depot. By the time he arrived at the scene the altercation had
ended. The SF councillor was standing at the door of the taxi
depot when the RUC arrived. A sergeant, who cannot be named for
legal reasons, ran at Councillor McGirr and grabbed him from
behind. He then took him outside the depot and struck him with
his baton. Seán McGirr said that the sergeant's colleagues in the
RUC mobile patrol who were standing by were ``taken aback'' by the
assault.
Councillor McGirr travelled to Craigavon Hospital where he
received treatment for a back injury caused by the RUC baton.
Anticipating that it might be alleged by the RUC that the
incident had been drink-related, the councillor had a blood test
done which showed that he had no alcohol in his system. He then
returned to his home.
At 6.30am on Sunday an RUC raiding party, led by the sergeant who
had earlier assaulted Seán McGirr, came to his home. They
verbally abused the councillor's daughter Dearbhail (17) before
arresting Seán McGirr. He was handcuffed and taken to an RUC car.
The councillor was manhandled while in the handcuffs and
sustained cuts and bruises to his wrists. His three young
children Saoirse (6), Niamh (7) and Daineal (11) were visibly
distressed and this increased when the RUC took Dearbhail, who
was in her nightclothes and bare feet, out of the house and
across the street.
``I was afraid they were going to take us both away and leave the
children unattended. The children were in hysterics at this
stage,'' said Councillor McGirr. (The children's mother was at
night work at the time.)
Dearbhail was let go but Councillor McGirr was arrested and held
in RUC custody for five hours. Both he and his daughter have been
charged by the RUC with assault. Councillor McGirr said:
``I am taking legal advice and intend to take counter-charges
against the RUC for assault on myself and for terrorising my
family. I am very concerned about the effect of this incident on
my children. People in Armagh are disgusted at the behaviour of
the RUC.''
Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin whose constituency neighbours
that of Councillor McGirr described the assault as
``reprehensible''. He said: ``The brutalisation of a Sinn Féin
elected representative and the terrorising of his family
illustrates the bigotry still ingrained in the RUC. Attempts to
rehabilitate this force are futile. A totally new policing
service is needed.''
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)