The head of the Garda press office has told a jury that the arrest of a senior garda was a significant event of national interest, and press releases were issued during a probe by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Superintendent Liam Geraghty was giving evidence at the trial of a retired superintendent and four serving Gardaí accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice in respect of quashing road traffic summonses for motorists.
The five accused are former Supt Eamon O'Neill; Sergeant Anne-Marie Hassett; Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Roxboro Road Garda Station; Garda Tom McGlinchey, Murroe Garda Station; and Garda Colm Geary, Ennis Garda Station.
They deny a total of 39 counts of "engaging in conduct tending or intended to pervert the course of justice".
Supt Geraghty told the court that four press releases were issued to the media on May 16, 2019; the day Mr O'Neill was arrested.
The court heard the press releases did not identify Mr O’Neil nor did they give the location of his arrest.
Defence barrister Felix McEnroy SC, on behalf of Mr O'Neill, asked Supt Geraghty why An Garda Siochána would issue a press statement when there had not been a significant event that the public would have been aware of, such as a murder or an armed robbery.
The head of the Garda press office said the arrest of a superintendent was "an event of public interest", and something that An Garda Siochána needed "to proactively inform the public about".
Under cross examination by John Byrne SC, on behalf of Garda Tom McGlinchey, Supt Geraghty was asked if the press office had issued a press release when Chief Supt John Scanlon was interviewed under caution by the GNBCI on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
Supt Geraghty said the garda press office had not been informed of that interview.
The trial has previously heard that Chief Supt Scanlon, now retired, was found to have had no case to answer.
Defence barrister Jim O’Mahony SC on behalf of Anne Marie Hassett asked Supt Geraghty if he had spoken to Detective Chief Supt Walter O’Sullivan about the arrest of Mr O’Neill.
The Det Chief Supt, now retired, was head of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation at the time of the probe.
Supt Geraghty said Mr O’Sullivan was involved in informing him about the detention of the accused.
"He told the jury he had no involvement in the press briefings," Mr O’Mahony said.
Supt Geraghty said Mr O’Sullivan had no involvement in the first press release regarding the arrest of Mr O’Neill, and that he informed him "as to whether people were still in detention", which was the subject of three subsequent press releases.
The head of the garda press office was also asked about recent road safety campaigns run in conjunction with the Road Safety Authority "highlighting the dangers of excessive speed" by Carl Hanahoe, on behalf of the prosecution.
Mr Hanahoe asked if these campaigns were targeted at young men. Supt Geraghty said they were targeted at young men "due to the high number of road deaths in that population."
The prosecution barrister put it to the superintendent that if An Garda Siochána did not issue statements when a senior garda was arrested, it would lead to suggestions that the gardaí were seeking "to cover up" or "keep quiet" investigations into members of the force.
Supt Geraghty agreed that it would.
Former Deputy Commissioner John Twomey, who was also across the investigation at the time, gave evidence before Limerick Circuit Court.
He was asked by the prosecution what "a square" was in a garda context. The retired deputy commissioner said a square is when a fixed charge penalty notice is not followed through to prosecution.
He agreed with the prosecution that a garda "cannot exercise discretion with someone you’re in a four-ball with on a Sunday morning", describing it as conflict of interest.
The prosecution barrister said, "That would be, to my mind, exercising favouritism."
"That’s correct," Mr Twomey replied.
Mr Hanahoe asked how community policing was advanced by squaring a penalty point on behalf of someone on your hurling team or someone in your golf club.
"I don’t think it is advanced," the former deputy commissioner said.
