Garda treated wife like 'chattel' during years of 'controlling and coercive' behaviour, court hears
Tom Tuite
A garda who recorded conversations, installed a tracker on his wife's phone, and ordered her to stay at home treated her like a "chattel", a judge has said.
Westmeath-based David Reynolds (45), currently suspended without pay, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour from January 1st, 2019, until July 18th 2022, which would have had a serious effect on his now separated wife, Ashley Masterson.
Adjourned sentencing until October 6th, Judge Keenan Johnson said on Thursday that Reynolds had a serious anger management problem, and the level of manipulation and control was an aggravating factor.
He remarked that Reynolds, "has a very old-fashioned attitude that is left long in the past in Ireland today."
Judge Johnson told defence counsel, "In history, a man's wife was his chattel, was his property. It seems a remnant of that is attributable to your client."
Masterson sat silently in the public gallery and asked for her victim impact statement to be read into the record at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court.
It opened with the words: "I waive my right to anonymity," meaning he can now be named.
Her statement said, "As a result of my marriage, I have been left with constant fatigue, stress and anxiety. The ongoing argument, control and bullying have left me emotionally scarred and with massive trust issues against people, even when they are trying to help me; I push them away to protect myself.
"I am filled with sadness and shame that I have missed out on the most important years of my children's childhood."
She described how the ordeal left her financially destroyed, while living on the fourth floor of an apartment block that "resembles an attic."
"All I can hope for is for things to improve, but I live with that feeling of dread that this is as good as life gets for us. I hope I manage to move on and make the best of things, but the tiredness of the last decade makes me feel like giving up most days.
"I feel like I've lost my own personality and nearly hate going places and seeing how happy and normal other family units are."
Garda Sergeant Keenan agreed with Cathal Ó Braonáin BL, instructed by the State solicitor for Westmeath, Matt Shaw, that the woman made complaints to gardaí in Mullingar. The seizure of his phone revealed 13 hours of recorded conversations.
The court heard that Reynolds accused Ashley Masterson of lying, or infidelity, and did not want her to see a friend he disapproved of and stopped her from leaving the house.
Recorded conversations
In the recordings, the couple could be heard shouting at each other, with sounds of the arguments becoming physical on both sides.
Some recordings continued after the arguments, during which Reynolds could be heard sobbing.
The father of three would not let her record while he recorded conversations, also called gardaí to carry out unnecessary welfare checks on her.
He also told gardaí that he earned the money and his wife spent it. The court heard they both had to deal with mental health issues.
Reynolds joined An Garda Síochána in 2003, and from the following year, he worked out of Dublin Castle in traffic policing before being transferred to the Westmeath Division in 2019.
Sergeant Keenan agreed that Reynolds, with an address near Mullingar, was the sole income earner in the household, and the recordings reflected calm periods and periods of escalation, as well as household issues, particularly as they moved toward separation.
Counsel described periods where their issues waxed and waned, and the sergeant said their relationship fluctuated as indicated by statements of withdrawal.
Callan said her client was involved in his children's lives, and he was devastated by the situation.
She submitted that his guilty plea was of significant value. The accused did not address the court. The court heard he faces dismissal from the force, where he had wanted to progress his career.
He has been suspended since January, obtained construction work and has become extremely isolated. Sentencing was adjourned pending preparation of a counselling report.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Women’s Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Men’s Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information.
Safe Ireland also offers a number of local services and helplines at safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
