Jury in Limerick garda trial asked to consider why motorists involved were not prosecuted

MOTORISTS at the heart of the trial of a retired superintendent and four serving gardaí are not on trial and the jury are being asked to consider this. 

Over the eight weeks of the trial at Limerick Circuit Court, references have been made to these motorists, names have been called out, along with addresses and in some cases vehicle registration numbers. 

READ ALSO: Limerick garda trial one of the most 'extraordinary' in recent history of the State, court hears

The closing statements for all five accused have now been delivered in what has been described as an “extraordinary” trial. 

This Friday morning at Limerick Circuit Court, closing statements for Garda Tom McGlinchey, Sergeant Michelle Leahy and Sergeant Anne-Marie Hassett were all heard by the jury of eight men and four women. 

Barrister for Tom McGlinchey, John Byrne SC, told the jury that it struck him as odd that there was “an absence of any prosecution of the drivers, these are the people who allegedly committed the speeding offences.”

Likewise, barrister Jim O’Mahoney SC representing Sergeant Anne-Marie Hassett pointed out that in some cases detecting members of An Garda Síochána gave evidence and others did not.  

Retired superintendent Eamon O’Neill, Garda Colm Geary, Garda Tom McGlinchey, Sergeant Michelle Leahy and Sergeant Anne-Marie Hassett have all been on trial for the past eight weeks. 

Each of them have pleaded not guilty to a total of 39 charges, which all relate to attempting to pervert the course of justice over Fixed Charge Penalty Notices relating to road traffic offences.

They include squaring away of penalties for offences including speeding, holding a mobile phone while driving, having no insurance and not wearing a seatbelt.

Mr Byrne told the jury that Mr McGlinchey simply passed on messages from Mr O’Neill. 

He referenced how his client provided his phone and passwords for analysis to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 

“Tom McGlinchey has nothing to hide.”

He described Mr McGlinchey as a “good old-fashioned garda in a rural area.” 

Representing Sergeant Michelle Leahy, barrister Andrew Sexton SC, told the court that Ms Leahy did not know the people who were involved in the alleged road traffic offences. 

He added that withdrawing a summons from court or striking a case out is “routine” and “happens all the time.” 

He also stressed that no friends or family of Ms Leahy benefitted from her actions in any way. 

Representing Sergeant Anne-Marie Hassett, barrister Jim O’Mahoney SC, told the jury: “This is a cod of a case.” 

He spoke about text messages which had been shown in court and made the point that saying someone is a player on the Limerick panel, is information and nothing more. 

Mr O’Mahoney stressed that none of the accused received any payment for the alleged perversion of the course of justice and in this regard, he questioned why they would commit the alleged crime. 

He said that this should have been considered as a disciplinary matter, but not a criminal matter. 

Judge Roderick Maguire will now present his charge to the jury of eight men and four women this afternoon.