Latest news with #McQuade
Sunday World
12 hours ago
- Sunday World
Jury to begin deliberations in trial of garda accused of assaulting teen in Temple Bar
Lorcan Murphy (32) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm The jury in the trial of a garda accused of assaulting a teenager in Temple Bar over four years ago is due to begin its deliberations tomorrow. Lorcan Murphy (32) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. The assaults on the then 17-year-old are alleged to have taken place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1, 2021. The jury is expected to begin its deliberations tomorrow after hearing closing speeches today and the directions of Judge Pauline Codd. Earlier, Justin McQuade BL, defending, told the jury in his closing speech that his client had to have an honest belief in the necessity to use force, even if it is mistaken, for the defence of justifiable use of force to be available. He noted that there is no suggestion that the initial use of force during the arrest of the complainant, when he was put in handcuffs, was excessive. Mr McQuade suggested the jury may wish to put 'significant weight' on this, then ask how 'did we get from honest belief to absence of honest belief in a short period of time'. 'I don't think we can,' counsel continued, suggesting it was a 'contrivance by the prosecution' which was not grounded in the real world. He told jurors that the law requires them 'to stand in the shoes of Garda Murphy and view the situation that unfolded through the circumstances he believed them to be'. Mr McQuade asked the jury to consider the role played by uniformed services, such as An Garda Siochana, suggesting that society 'may have lost some sight on what people in uniform do for us'. He noted that frontline policing can be messy but 'is done on behalf of everyone in this room'. 'People in uniform are expected, not invited, to take a step forward,' he said, telling the jury that an issue in this trial is 'honest belief even if it is mistaken in the heat of the moment'. He asked the jury to look at the surrounding circumstances of that day as his client believed them to be and pointed out that members of An Garda Siochana are required to make split-second decisions without an 'action replay'. He said the force used was a leg sweep and it was an 'unfortunate secondary impact' when the complainant hit his head on the ground, adding that his client 'did not have the luxury of picking a softer landing point'. Mr McQuade said it is regrettable that the complainant sustained injuries, which thankfully were not life-altering. He said the fact that the complainant suffered injuries does not mean that his client used excessive force. Mr McQuade suggested that if gardai are going to be criminalised for using force, they may be slower to use it in the future and that benefits no one. 'Force is necessary in society to protect citizens from those with criminal intent,' he suggested. He noted that his client and the complainant had never met and asked jurors to consider Mr Murphy's instincts about the complainant. He added that the complainant's convictions were outlined 'not to blacken' his character but to allow for an assessment of his client's instincts. Defence counsel suggested jurors consider the credibility of the complainant when deciding if his screams at the garda station were genuine, noting the defence say these were a 'contrivance'. He said his client used techniques he was trained in both on Essex Street and in Pearse Street Garda Sation. Prosecuting counsel, John Gallagher BL, told the jury in his closing speech that it is accepted that the complainant was 'deserving of garda attention' that day and no issue is taken with his initial arrest. He said the prosecution's case is that the leg sweep of the complainant while he was in handcuffs and the subsequent impact of his head on the ground amounts to an assault causing harm. Mr Gallagher suggested that the complainant was subjected to 'disproportionate and excessive force', which resulted in a fractured skull and a bleed to the brain Mr Gallagher noted that the complainant's convictions are not to his credit, but 'could not have had any impact on the accused man's decision-making' on the day since they were strangers to each other. He said the prosecution also say that pulling the complainant's head backwards using his hair in Pearse Street Garda Station then applying force to his chest or his sternum is also an assault, which caused harm in the form of immediate pain. He said the complainant was a minor who was handcuffed and awaiting medical attention at this time. Mr Gallagher told jurors an issue in this case is whether the level of force used was reasonable. He said the prosecution say the level of force used to bring the complainant to the ground after his initial arrest was not reasonable, inherently dangerous and likely to cause injury to the complainant. He told jurors they must consider Mr Murphy's statements, and if he held an honest belief that the complainant was about to abscond or had concerns about the crowd when he brought him to the ground after his initial arrest. Counsel suggested the jury must consider Mr Murphy's statement about the alleged assault at the garda station that he was providing medical attention to the complainant or if the intention was to get his attention to ask a question. He submitted that Mr Murphy's 'insistence' that the complainant did not lose consciousness suggests his account was 'self-serving' and 'sought to minimise the effects of his conduct'. The jury also heard that an enhanced image of the leg sweep was not available to GSOC until October 2024. The trial continues. Stock image News in 90 Seconds - July 22nd
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Teen who claims garda assaulted him attacked and robbed person at ATM days later, court told
LATEST | Lorcan Murphy (22) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm. Stock image Lorcan Murphy (22) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. The assaults on the then 17-year-old are alleged to have taken place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1, 2021. During cross-examination, Justin McQuade BL, defending, put it to the complainant that he said he has no recollection of the incident. He asked if this was due to a head injury, to which the complainant agreed. Mr McQuade then asked him if there was anything else that might have contributed to his lack of memory, and the complainant said alcohol and cannabis. Stock image Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th Defence counsel asked the witness if he was someone who would obstruct the gardaí, and he said that 'sometimes if they came to me Ma's house'. He was then asked how he would obstruct the gardaí, and he said, 'just resist arrest, but I wasn't resisting arrest this time'. It was put to the witness that he was interviewed by GSOC two months after this incident, and they took a statement from him, which he agreed with. He disagreed with the defence counsel that he had lied in his GSOC interview. Mr McQuade asked if he had lied about alcohol in his statement to GSOC. The witness said, 'I had no recollection of it, I didn't really drink'. Mr McQuaid put it to the witness that 'you knew full well that you had drank and that you had drink on you and that your statement was misleading and a lie', once again, the alleged injured party said he had no recollection. Counsel then said, 'But you remember smoking 4-5 joints?' to which he replied, 'Ya'. The jury heard that the complainant in this case has 44 previous convictions, and ten days after the alleged assault by Mr Murphy, this alleged injured party kicked and beat a person after they had withdrawn money from an ATM on O'Connell Street, he then went through their pockets. A further two weeks later, the complainant carried out another assault on a member of staff who was standing outside a premises. The witness said, 'I'm not going to incriminate myself'. Mr McQuade asked the witness if he was a person who was respectful to other members of society, to which he said he was. He also asked him if he engaged in anti-social behaviour, and he said, 'not since I was 15'. It was then put to him that beating people up and robbing them in public is not respectful, to which he said, 'I'm paying for my mistakes'. After a breakdown of the previous convictions was read to the court, the witness stated that he 'had a difficult upbringing and was easily led'. Read more The jury heard that the complainant was first brought to the Mater Hospital from Pearse Street Garda Station, where he went on to discharge himself. He returned the following day as a result of headaches. He was then transferred to Beaumont Hospital. It was put to him that he was described as being 'aggressive, combative and exposed staff to potential violence', he said 'staff would not let me out for a smoke' and that 'I didn't use one bit of violence'. Mr McQuade told the witness that he was obliged to put his client's statement that he gave to GSOC to him. When reciting the statement, the complainant said he had no recollection of these events as they were been read out. Mr John Caird, a consultant neurosurgeon who works in both Beaumont and Temple Street Hospitals, gave evidence of his treatment of the complainant in this case. He said the complainant had a fracture to the skull and a contusion to the brain. Fluid was also seen coming from the ear of the complainant. He said he had a good level of consciousness and that his pupils were equal and reactive. He outlined that the complainant has made an excellent recovery. Defence counsel asked Mr Caird if the complainant had left the hospital against medical advice, to which he said yes, once from the Mater Hospital and once from Beaumont Hospital, but returned 20 minutes later. Mr Caird agreed that the complainant refused to answer questions relating to alcohol and drug consumption. A second doctor, Dr Haroon Khan, who is a GP and works closely with the gardaí, was called to Pearse Street Garda Station on the night in question. He noted that the complainant was intoxicated, and he was unable to wake him. He noted a laceration on his temple region and abrasions to both knees. Dr Khan had the complainant transferred to hospital. Under cross-examination, Dr Khan said he had tried to 'rouse' the complainant. Dr Khan stated that he did not speak with the man and confirmed that he appeared to be intoxicated. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Barbara McQuade's book on disinformation, 'Attack from Within,' gets paperback release
Barbara McQuade teaches law at the University of Michigan, but her classroom extends far beyond the stately Tudor Gothic buildings of the Law Quad on the Ann Arbor campus. 'I am now considering myself a disinformation evangelist,' says the Detroit native, having a little fun as she describes her continuing efforts to fight the spread of lies, deceptions and distortions that threatens democracy. McQuade had a New York Times bestseller in 2024 with 'Attack From Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America.' On June 3, the paperback version makes its debut. A former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, McQuade is well known for her legal analysis on MSNBC and NBC News and for co-hosting the podcast '#SistersInLaw." She wrote her book not to get more media exposure, but to provide a resource for those worried about the fact that disinformation has become an unwelcome part of America's political process. 'I just want to help educate the public about this problem because it is something that can be used against us by politicians, by business leaders, by anyone who wants to advance an agenda," says McQuade. "I'm hopeful that if we can educate people about the tactics of disinformation, we can learn to recognize them and that will build resilience against being manipulated by them.' The paperback edition of "Attack from Within" has a new introduction that offers her insights on the 2024 presidential election, the courting of Donald Trump's favor by tech billionaires and Trump's early decisions in his second term, including his pardons and commutations for those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol (which she writes "sent a message not just condoning political violence, but empowering it"). The rest of the book is a thoroughly researched, comprehensive look at the history of disinformation and the ways it is being used now, along with advice on how to preserve and strengthen inherent values like seeking the truth and respecting the rule of law. Are the issues addressed in 'Attack from Within' as relevant today as they were a year ago? 'I'm sad to say, it may be more pertinent than ever," says McQuade. "I think that this problem of disinformation has not subsided. In fact, if anything, it has only grown. And so I think the urgency of the message is even more pronounced today.' Better known as Barb to friends and admirers, McQuade seems to have the perfect disposition for calmly discussing topics that often turn into heated free-for-alls on cable news shows or at family dinner tables. Her tone is friendly and reasonable. She chooses her words carefully and avoids overstatement. McQuade acknowledges that disinformation can occur on either side of the political spectrum. 'I think one of the things we're learning right now us how many people either stayed silent or made false representations about President Biden's mental acuity,' she says, referring to revelations like those in 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," the new book by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios correspondent Alex Thompson. Notes McQuade of the tribalism that can drive political partisans to behave like sports fans and support their team, not their own eyes, on a referee's call, 'There is this tendency for people to say not just what they believe to be true, but (what) they want to believe to be true. Sometimes that is harmful to the public good.' When asked about the Trump administration's clashes with the courts over its deportations of migrants, McQuade says, 'It is certainly within (Trump's) purview to deport people who are not in the country lawfully, but he may do so only in compliance with the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment, which says that people get a hearing and they get notice. That is to prevent mistakes from happening and we've already seen mistakes with people deported who should not have been.' McQuade explains the implications of skirting due process with the clarity of someone who has debated her points before judges and students. 'It might be easy at this moment to say …'Those aren't people like me. This couldn't happen to me.' It could happen to you and it is happening to our fellow Americans. For that reason, I think we ought to make sure that the law works for everybody because the due process clause applies to anybody who is within the territory of the United States. If we see an erosion for one group of people, then certainly the same could happen to any group of people.' McQuade is positive, but measured, in her views on how the Supreme Court is doing its job these days. 'I think some justices more than others have viewpoints in alignment with the Trump administration, but I think others care about the role of the court as an institution and as a check on abuse of presidential power.' She remains 'cautiously optimistic'" that they will continue to provide those checks. The legal battles to rein in the Trump administration's controversial wielding of executive power may be drawing more students to legal careers, much like Woodward and Bernstein's coverage of the Watergate scandals resulted in a surge of journalism majors at colleges in the 1970s. 'Admissions applications to Michigan Law School were at an historic high this year,' says McQuade. 'I think there is a strong interest in the law right now. ... I hear from many students who are going into public interest law or want to work for state attorney general's offices in an effort to safeguard some of the institutions of democracy.' McQuade sees an important role for education to play in teaching young people how to spot and avoid disinformation. 'Whether you call it media literacy or resilience from disinformation or critical thinking … I think it is incredibly important for the next generation of students to be able to manage this landscape where we're going to have artificial intelligence and social media and the ability to deceive people." She adds: "We will need students to have the skill set to be able to sift through that which is reliable and that which is not.' McQuade's book points the way to overcoming political divisions by putting facts and democracy first. Ultimately, as her new intro for 'Attack from Within" concludes: 'We have the power to effect change by uniting against the forces that seek to drive us apart. If we want to overcome the dangers of disinformation, we must choose truth over tribe.' Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Barbara McQuade's book on disinformation gets paperback release
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Wirral midwife 'angry and disturbed' over babies' mass graves
A retired nurse, who trained and worked as a midwife in hospitals and maternity homes on Merseyside during the 1970s, has said she is "shocked and disturbed" after learning about the use of mass graves for stillborn infants born decades McQuade, 79, from Prenton, Wirral, said during her midwife career she was told stillborn infants would be laid to rest with another person being buried on the next available instead many were buried in mass graves, with sometimes hundreds of babies put together in one unmarked grave. Ms McQuade said she felt "very angry" she had been lied to and would "hate anybody" to think she knew anything about what happened to those babies. "It is very disturbing really," she said. "I was told when I delivered a baby to make sure whether that baby breathed. "If it took one breath, it was a live birth and would then have a funeral and obviously be registered as a live birth. "If the baby didn't breathe at all, then that baby would be buried with another person". 'Very upsetting' The former nurse said she was given this information during training with senior midwives who would be alongside her while she delivered babies. "As far as I was aware that is what all the midwives believed," she said. "It had probably come down; they [senior midwives] were probably told the same thing, and they were telling students, and that's the way it was."I can't speak for senior staff who told me that, but as far as I would think, that's what they thought, and that's the way everybody believed it was happening". If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line. Before and even into the 1980s, the bodies of stillborn and miscarried babies were often taken away by hospital workers from families who were not given any details of their resting to recent Freedom of Information requests, at least 89,000 miscarried or stillborn babies were buried in mass graves around the are usually areas of unmarked and unconsecrated for what happened after a stillbirth varied at individual hospitals and so funeral and cremation arrangements differed too. But bereaved parents were never told about their babies being buried in mass graves. Ms McQuade said the idea of mass graves had never even entered her said: "I have been quite shocked at some of the stories, it's very upsetting." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
