Text messages sent between gardaí about a GAA player who was stopped for an alleged speeding offence were shown to a jury in the trial of a retired superintendent and four gardaí at Limerick Circuit Court.
Former garda superintendent Eamon O'Neill, Sergeant Anne Marie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Colm Geary and Garda Tom McGlinchey have pleaded not guilty to a total of 39 offences of engaging in conduct tending and intended to pervert the course of justice contrary to common law on dates between October 2016 and September 2019.
Sergeant Patricia Ryan, based at Roxboro Road Garda Station, gave evidence of detecting Limerick hurler Pat Ryan, with an address at Cliggin, Doon, allegedly driving a BMW 318 at 135km/h in a 100km/h zone on a dual carriageway in Dooradoyle.
She told the court that she explained to the driver why he was being stopped and told him a ticket would be issued in relation to the alleged offence.
The court heard that she subsequently received a text message from one of the defendants in the trial, Sgt Hassett, later that day.
The jury was shown the text message, which read: "Hey missus. Anne-Marie Hassett here. Sorry to be bugging you but you stopped a fella today, Pat Ryan, Doon. He's on the Limerick panel with Eamon. Any way you could do something for him? No panic if you can’t and sorry again for annoying you about this."
Sgt Ryan’s reply was also shown to the court: "I’m sorry Anne-Marie, I’ve all my incidents on the system. Unfortunately, once they’re on the system they can’t be deleted."
Carl Hanahoe SC for the prosecution asked why she had said that she had inputted all her incidents from that day into the system when she had not, and she replied - "It was a polite way of saying no."
The trial also heard evidence from Inspector John Dunne, who previously worked as a sergeant at Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick.
He told the court that he had received a phone call from a superior asking if a female garda on duty on Patrick Street had issued a ticket to a motorist for holding a mobile phone while driving.
Insp Dunne said he was asked to contact the garda, which he did, and asked if she would consider using her discretion in the matter.
Under cross-examination, Felix McEnroy SC, on behalf of Supt O’Neill, asked Insp Dunne if it had ever been suggested to him that anything he did in asking the garda to considering using her discretion in the matter "was incorrect or wrong in any way".
Insp Dunne agreed that it was never suggested to him that he had done anything wrong in contacting the garda, nor did he place "any significance" in being asked to contact her.
He agreed with the defence barrister that part of his role as a member of An Garda Síochána was to exercise his discretion, which he said he does on a case-by-case basis.
Insp Dunne agreed with the defence that, when appropriate, he had used informal cautions. He said in his own experience, "a word of caution can be just as effective" as issuing a ticket.
The trial has previously heard that Supt O’Neill was the common denominator in respect of all 39 charges.
The prosecution said that what all the offences have in common is the alleged interference or involvement of Supt O’Neill.
The trial continues before Judge Roderick Maguire and a jury of eight men and four women at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
