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A former Garda immigration officer has been jailed for sexual assault and harassment involving two non-EU nationals who sought his help with visa purposes and passports at a Roscommon Garda station.
At a sitting of Roscommon Circuit Court docket on Friday, Choose Kenneth Connolly convicted John Egan (61), with an deal with at Drum, Knock, Co Mayo, of sexually assaulting one of many ladies at Castlerea Garda station on February 14th, 2015, whereas working there as an immigration officer.
He was additionally convicted of harassing the identical sufferer on varied places throughout the county on dates between February fifteenth and December thirty first 2015.
Egan was additionally convicted of harassing a second lady on dates between June 1st, 2014, and March 4th, 2017. He pleaded responsible to all of the offences at a sitting of Roscommon Circuit Court docket final 12 months. That sitting heard that watching, following and contacting had been carried out as a part of the harassments.
Friday’s Circuit Court docket sitting heard that a part of Egan’s duties was to fulfill non-EU nationals in helping with their visa purposes.
On one event, one of many ladies went to see him about her visa software and he or she made him conscious, when he requested her, that she not had a companion. He sexually assaulted her inside his workplace on the station.
The courtroom was additionally informed that typically he would park outdoors her residence and stay there for a time. The Garda additionally informed her to not inform anybody about what was happening.
The person informed the opposite sufferer on quite a few events that “he needed to have some enjoyable”, and he or she took that to imply he needed to have intercourse.
Egan was arrested and charged with the offences in December 2021. As a part of the investigation, the Garda’s telephone data had been examined in relation to his interplay with the victims.
In sufferer influence statements learn out to the courtroom, each ladies spoke of how Egan’s behaviour had affected them emotionally, bodily and mentally. One of many victims stated she felt “unhappy, ashamed and violated”, and the person had “preyed on my vulnerability and abused his energy”.
The opposite lady, in her sufferer influence assertion, stated she didn’t suppose individuals would consider her.
“To me, he was an individual of energy who everybody appeared to love,” she stated. The girl felt trapped and susceptible and he “performed on my vulnerability”. The courtroom heard she suffered from nervousness consequently and was prescribed medicine.
Egan took the witness stand and “sincerely apologised for the ache and trauma” he had brought on the 2 ladies .
The previous Garda had joined the pressure in December 1982 aged 19, and in 1990, was stationed at Castlerea Garda station. In 2002, he was appointed as an immigration officer on the station, a task he carried out till he retired in April 2017.
Choose Connolly stated probably the most aggravating issue was the person’s abuse of energy and his place of dominance to perpetuate sexual occasions and harassment on one lady, and harassment on the opposite lady.
Choose Connolly sentenced Egan to 2 years and 6 months for sexually assaulting one of many ladies and an extra two years in jail for harassing her. These sentences are to run concurrently.
Egan was additionally given a one 12 months and nine-month consecutive jail sentence for harassing the opposite lady. The ultimate 9 months of this the sentence was suspended.
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