A retired Superintendent has given evidence that he "looked after a couple of hundred summonses" during his career and received queries from members of the public on summonses "every second day", in the trial of another former Superintendent and four gardaí accused of unlawfully interfering in pending road traffic prosecutions.
Sean Corcoran, who retired from the force 20 years ago, said it was not unusual for a Superintendent to get queries from the public on summonses and other garda matters, and that he had received them from all ranks of An Garda Siochana, including garda commissioners, as well as "members of the Dáil, their secretaries, TDs and councillors".
He told the court: "I probably looked after a couple of hundred summonses in my time".
Former garda Superintendent Eamon O'Neill, Sergeant Anne Marie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Tom McGlinchey and Garda Colm Geary 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.
Mr Corcoran gave evidence of contacting then Superintendent O'Neill about a neighbour’s son, who had been stopped driving a car without insurance on the outskirts of Ennis, to make a representation on his behalf.
He told the court the motorist did have insurance for a van, but that it didn’t cover the car he was driving when stopped by gardaí.
"I phoned Eamon O’Neill, who I knew from my time in Limerick, and I asked could he do anything about it."
A statement given by the retired Superintendent was also read to the court, in which he described the defendant, Mr O’Neill, as one of the most dedicated and loyal members of An Garda Siochána.
He outlined how he had played a key role in pursuing the Dundon McCarthy criminal gang in Limerick and said he was "highly dedicated in the pursuance of IRA subversives".
The court had earlier heard that Garda Geary had told detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) that he had "definitely not" perverted the course of justice in relation to a potential road traffic offence after he was contacted by a Superintendent who asked if the case was "sortable".
The jury was shown a video of an interview with Garda Geary at Mayorstone Garda Station in Limerick, where he met the detectives from the GNBCI by arrangement on 8 October 2019.
Garda Geary, based at Ennis Garda Station, has pleaded not guilty to three charges in the case.
During the interview, detectives asked Garda Geary about phone calls and text messages he had received from Superintendent O'Neill, who is also a defendant in the trial.
A series of WhatsApp messages was shown to the jury, which included an image of a court summons in relation to an alleged speeding offence in Clare, sent by Supt O’Neill to Garda Geary.
Garda Geary replied: "Rang that lad. He’s away for the week. He reckons he has all his cases adjourned until December. He will strike that out no bother".
A text message from Supt O’Neill following up on the matter read "Any hope", to which Garda Geary replied, "Text him, I’ll let ya know".
"What’s he like?" Supt O’Neill asked by text. "He’s straight enough but worked on the unit with him."
The next day, the Superintendent messaged Garda Geary "Any luck with that lad?"
Garda Geary said his garda colleague had not got back to him, but he would try to track him down.
Another text from Garda Geary informed Supt O’Neill that the motorist had been "sorted" and the incident "didn’t go in the system either".
"You’re a topper," Supt O’Neill replied.
When questioned by the GNBCI detectives, Garda Geary said he understood from the messages he received from Eamon O’Neill that the Superintendent wanted him to contact his colleague, who had issued the fixed charge penalty notice.
"It came from a Superintendent," Garda Geary told detectives. "I made contact with the guard on his behalf.
"I know I’m repeating myself. He was a Superintendent, I knew that’s what he was implying and I didn’t ask any questions about it.
"I did as instructed.
He told the officers that at the time he didn’t think there was anything wrong with a Superintendent intervening or striking out cases in the district court.
The jury heard the detectives ask Garda Geary again whether he thought what he had done amounted to perverting the course of justice, to which he replied, "I certainly didn't think so".
He was asked whether he would have done it if he did think it was perverting the court of justice, and Garda Geary replied, "Definitely not."
He told the detectives that he had heard rumours that Mr O'Neill had been suspended, but he had not heard it officially.
Garda Geary said Mr O’Neill had contacted him around the time of one of the court cases "and it would have been within the timeline of being suspended".
The detectives asked him if he had received anything for the steps that he took in relation to the road traffic cases, and he said, "Never".
The trial continues before Judge Roderick Maguire at Limerick Circuit Court.
