Jury deliberates for over five hours in Limerick garda trial

THE jury in the Limerick garda trial have now been deliberating for five hours and 25 minutes.

The eight men and four women began considering their verdict on Friday afternoon and continued this Monday morning at 9.39am.

Judge Roderick Maguire told the jury to suspend their deliberations at 12.59pm and take their lunch. Judge Maguire said he would resume at 2pm. However, the foreman of the jury said they would take half an hour for lunch.

Retired superintendent Eamon O’Neill, Garda Colm Geary, Garda Tom McGlinchey, Sergeant Michelle Leahy and Sergeant Anne-Marie Hassett are all on trial at Limerick Circuit Court.

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

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The trial began on November 11 and has now entered its ninth week. At the start it had been predicted to conclude before Christmas.

A large number of family members, close friends, retired gardaí, as well as members of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association and the Garda Representative Association are in attendance.

Court 3 is full to capacity. Due to the number of people standing, court 1 was opened for additional capacity, where people can view proceedings from. 

The court is due to sit again at 1.30pm with the jury expected to be sent out to continue their deliberations.