A former Garda immigration officer has been jailed for sexual assault and harassment involving two non-EU nationals who sought his assistance with visa applications and passports at a Roscommon Garda station.
At a sitting of Roscommon Circuit Court on Friday, Judge Kenneth Connolly convicted John Egan (61), with an address at Drum, Knock, Co Mayo, of sexually assaulting one of the women at Castlerea Garda station on February 14th, 2015, while working there as an immigration officer.
He was also convicted of harassing the same victim on various locations across the county on dates between February 15th and December 31st, 2015.
Egan was also convicted of harassing a second woman on dates between June 1st, 2014, and March 4th, 2017.
Previous harassment
He previously pleaded guilty to all the offences at a sitting of Roscommon Circuit Court last year. That sitting heard that watching, following and contacting were carried out as part of the harassments.
Friday’s sitting of the Circuit Court heard that part of Egan’s duties was to meet non-EU nationals in assisting with their visa applications. The Garda had interacted with the two victims on several occasions at the Garda station when they sought assistance with their passports and visa applications.
On one occasion, one of the women went to see him about her visa application, and she made him aware that she no longer had a partner after he asked.
He told her to come to his office in the Garda station. When she got there, he closed and locked the door, and he sexually assaulted her.
The court also heard he would sometimes park outside her home and remain there for some time. The garda also told her not to tell anyone about what was going on.
The man asked the other victim on numerous occasions that “he wanted to have some fun”, which she took to mean that he wanted to have sex.
'Sad, ashamed and violated'
Egan was eventually arrested and charged with the offences in December 2021. As part of the investigation, his phone records were examined in his interaction with the victims.
In victim impact statements read out to the court, both women spoke of how Egan’s behaviour had affected them emotionally, physically and mentally.
One of the victims said she felt “sad, ashamed and violated”, and the man had “preyed on my vulnerability and abused his power”.
“I remember his smirk more than his face,” she said, adding that “she had no trust in the police after that”. She said she was “happy that he got caught to stop it happening again”.
In her victim impact statement, the other woman said she felt very uncomfortable when he sent her sexual messages and felt horrible when she went to his office.
“He would always lock the door every time I had to go there,” she said, adding: “He made me feel dirty.”
She said she did not think that people would believe her, adding: “To me, he was a person of power who everyone seemed to be liked.”
The woman said she felt trapped and vulnerable, and he “played on my vulnerability”.
The court heard she suffered from anxiety as a result and was prescribed medication.
Both women said they were glad the case had come before the court as it would “stop it happening to other people”. Neither woman was present in court on Friday as they did not want to see Egan again.
'Horrendous behaviour'
Egan took the witness stand and “sincerely apologised for the pain and trauma” he had caused the two women.
He said his actions were “unforgivable”, and apologised to An Garda Síochána and his own family.
He described his actions as “horrendous behaviour”, and when asked by counsel for an explanation for his behaviour, he said: “I can’t. It was despicable stuff.”
Defence counsel said the former Garda, who had no previous criminal record, had an “unblemished service” of 35 years with the Gardaí, “save for this egregious conduct over a significant period of time”.
The court heard Egan had joined the force in December 1982, aged 19, and in 1990, was stationed at Castlerea Garda station. In 2002, he was appointed as an immigration officer at the station, a role he carried out until he retired in April 2017.
Counsel said Egan “had lost his way” and “abused his trust and State property”, adding this was “a humiliating fall from grace” and he is “not entitled to anonymity”.
Sentencing
Before sentencing, Judge Connolly said the most aggravating factor was Egan’s abuse of power and dominance to perpetuate sexual events and harassment on one woman, and harassment on the other woman.
Judge Connolly sentenced him to two years and six months for sexually assaulting one of the women and a further two years in prison for harassing her. These sentences are to run concurrently.
Egan was also given a one-year and nine-month consecutive jail sentence for harassing the other woman.
The final nine months of this the sentence was suspended on condition that he keep the peace for two years post release, and that for a period of eighteen months, he follow the directions of the probation and welfare services to avail of appropriate treatment.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
By Richard Canny & Beat News
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