Garda recorded conversations, installed tracker on wife's phone and ordered her to stay at home, court hears

A Westmeath-based garda, David Reynolds, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour from January 1, 2019, until July 18, 2022. The conduct involved recording conversations, installing a tracker on his wife’s phone, and ordering her to stay at home. The court said the behaviour would have had a serious effect on his now separated wife, Ashley Masterson. The judge adjourned sentencing until October 6 and described Reynolds as having a serious anger management problem. The judge also treated the level of manipulation and control as an aggravating factor, remarking that Reynolds had an old-fashioned attitude still left in the past in Ireland. The judge said the behaviour reflected a remnant of the historical view of a wife as property.

"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 1, 2019, until July 18, 2022, which would have had a serious effect on his now separated wife, Ashley Masterson."

"Adjourned sentencing until October 6, 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.""

Read at Irish Independent