Athy Man Accused Of Pretending To Be A Garda

Thursday, 3 March 2022 08:55

By Caoimhe Harney

A woman claims he tried to coerce her into his car.

A woman has told a jury a man claiming to be a Garda tried to get her into his car while she was outside her home in the early hours of September 18th last year.

Declan McGowan, of Branswood, Athy, denies pretending to be a Garda and claims he was just trying to help her because he thought she was in trouble.

The woman told the jury she was having a row with her husband on a video call when a man pulled up near her home on Kimmage Road Lower in Dublin.

She said he identified himself as a garda and told her to come with him in his car. She described him as persistent and said she felt pressurised by him.

Her husband told the court he arrived a few minutes later and claimed the man started choking him as soon as he reached them.

He managed to raise the alarm and gardai arrived on the scene shortly afterwards.

Declan McGowan denies pretending to be a garda to coerce the woman into his car that night.

He claims he only stopped because he was worried about her and only laid his hands on her husband after he slapped her in front of him; something the husband denied

Under cross-examination, the woman claimed she told Mr McGowan she was ok and wondered why he insisted she get into the car when she made that clear to him.

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