Ex-garda gets suspended sentence for coercive control of wife

A former garda has avoided jail after pleading guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour against his wife over three years. David Reynolds received an 18-month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay €10,000 in compensation. The 45-year-old, dismissed from An Garda Síochána in August, recorded conversations, installed a tracker on his wife's phone, and locked her inside their home. Judge Keenan Johnson noted Reynolds treated his wife like "chattel" and held him to a higher standard as a former officer. Reynolds also pleaded guilty to falsifying a vehicle document to avoid motor tax. He must donate €1,000 to the Garda Benevolent Fund and attend anger management counselling.