Which version of events do you believe?

L

Latrade

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From [broken link removed] in the Irish Times. Just wonder which version you feel is more likely to be closer to the truth. I'd be confident neither is 100% true.

Gardai version:

Gardaí will allege Mr Akpabot was using his mobile phone as he came to a checkpoint and refused to give his name and address... Mr Akpabot tried to drive off when a garda’s hand was still on the window and that, after he got out of his vehicle, he tried to run off.
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Mr Akpabot's Version
At a routine checkpoint at Belgard Square, near Tallaght Hospital, several cars in front of him were waved on by a garda who then came up to his window, he said.
The officer asked him his name and address, where he was from, how long he had been here and whether he was married or single.
When he asked the garda why he was the only one being questioned and interrogated like this, the garda said: “Look at my shoulder.”
Mr Akpabot agreed that meant he was a garda, and said the garda replied: “You’re damn right, and I can be a racist any day of the week I feel like.”
After giving the garda his details, he drove about 10m up the road, where a second garda was manning the checkpoint for the other side of the road.
He said he told this officer he felt he had been bullied by the first garda, and asked what station they were based at.
He said the second garda said: “Do you think we have nothing better to do?”
He said the garda then “came towards me and put his hands on my throat through the window”.
Mr Akpabot said the officer tried to pull him through the window as his car rolled a short distance down the street before coming to a stop.
He said he managed to get the officer’s hands off his throat, and then got out of his car and stood on the pavement because he “wanted the general public to witness what was happening”.
He said both gardaí put him down on the ground, knelt on his head and lower body and roughly handcuffed him.
He said he was crying and asking them what had he done.
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I'm saying nothing other than maybe if it was the Belgarde Road in the projects of LA I might buy some of what Mr Akpabot is saying, but not Dublin.

But one thing that did strike me is the "singled out" or racial profiling. While that Moat guy in the Uk was in hiding, a small side story mentioned that the Police in that region had arrested and stopped over 8 men. They weren't connected with the crime in anyway and were quickly released. Basically, they were stopped because they had shaven heads and were muscular. They looked like Moat.

Now I think that's ok, they were after a suspect, but then so did those stopped as they never kicked up a fuss about it and so apparantly did the media as this was one line in a whole news report. But I can't help but wonder what would have been said if the suspect wasn't white and the police (reacting to calls and reports from members of the public) stopped people who looked like him?
 
Sounds pretty far fetched to me. I might accept the racism bit but I struggle to see why a Guard would try and pull him out the window for no reason at a checkpoint on a public road.
 
If the person was from any other African country then I would give them the benefit of the doubt.

From experience and at the risk of being accused of wild generalisations; Nigerian people seem to have a major chip on their shoulder and an expectation that the world owes them.There also seem sto be a misplaced superiority complex with Nigerian people in my opinion.
 
Niallers said:
If the person was from any other African country then I would give them the benefit of the doubt.

From experience and at the risk of being accused of wild generalisations; Nigerian people seem to have a major chip on their shoulder and an expectation that the world owes them.There also seem sto be a misplaced superiority complex with Nigerian people in my opinion.
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How could anyone accuse you of wild generalisations!
 
Sounds ridiculous to me - Mr Akpabot should be deported IMO. With a bit of luck we should be rid of him by 2020!
 
There are usually checkpoints on the Belgard Road about once a month, always checking tax and insurance, hence why most people are waved through. I would have thought it would have been easy enough for the Gardai to establish/prove if a call had been made on the mobile at the time of the stop.

As for trying to pull a grown man through the car window, that sounds a little bit far fetched
 
DB74 said:
Sounds ridiculous to me - Mr Akpabot should be deported IMO. With a bit of luck we should be rid of him by 2020!
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He is already gone!

'The incident had upset him to such an extent he had lost faith in Ireland, and he later moved to Coventry with his three children.
His wife had decided to remain here.'

I like the accusation that a female officer pinched his leg!

Suppose we have pay legal costs for this case because he won't be able to pay when he loses.
 
Did he have his tax/insurance/license/NCT etc. in order? This is important as someone who has everything in order isnt going to try to run away which would discredit the Garda story.

If he didnt have everything in order, then the Garda story is credible and his isnt.
 
I can't comment on the validity of him being stopped over others. It's what happened after this that seems to be pushing credability a bit far. The Garda leaning in through the window and grabbing his throat because he questioned him, then trying to drag him out the window...

Sure I've seen the odd Garda acting like a mini hitler, but I can honestly say I simply do not believe that version of the events.
 
I note that he went to Coventry of his own free will, that was probably to avoid being sent to Coventry.
 
After a few months living in Coventry the free will will be sapped out of him
 
judging from the posts on this its both heartwarming and comforting to see good old racism alive and well!
 
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