CS gas incident results in police paying compensation to grandmother

Posted 29/12/2010

A grandmother of three has been awarded personal injury compensation by West Yorkshire Police after being sprayed in the face with CS gas.

Debbie O’Reilly, 45, had witnessed an arrest during a night out in August 2007 and recognised the man being held to the ground by officers.

After she asked one of them why he was being arrested, she was shoved backwards into a doorman and had the gas sprayed into her eyes.

“I’ve never felt pain like it. My eyes were on fire,” Ms O’Reilly remarked.

She decided to take legal action against the force after CCTV footage showed that she had not been obstructing the policeman’s work and has now been awarded £7,000 in personal injury compensation.

“It was never about the money, it was about them admitting they were wrong,” Ms O’Reilly commented.

A man with mental health problems also received compensation in September 2010 after CS gas was used on him despite him posing no threat to police officers attending his home.