Athy Man Found Guilty Of Pretending To Be A Garda

Monday, 7 March 2022 16:27

By Caoimhe Harney

He tried to coerce a woman into his car.

A man has been found guilty of trying to get a woman into his car in the middle of the night by pretending he was a Garda.

Declan McGowan, of Branswood, Athy, also choked her husband when he came out to see if she was ok on September 18th last.

The woman wasn’t far from her home on Kimmage Road Lower in Dublin at about 2am on September 18th last year when Declan McGowan pulled up in his white Audi, claiming to be a Garda.

She was on a video call with her husband. The court heard they were having a row. Her husband said he saw a man pulling up before the screen went black.

Despite her repeatedly telling him she was OK, McGowan kept telling her he was a Garda and insisting she get into his car.

He told her she was beautiful and kissed her hand against her will.

When her husband came out to investigate, McGowan started choking him and told him to go back inside.

The husband pretended to leave but instead raised the alarm and the actual Gardai arrived a few minutes later.

McGowan claimed he was coming to the woman’s rescue after seeing her in a distressed state, but the jury didn’t believe his story and convicted him of all charges.

His sentence hearing will take place in June

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