The jury in the trial of a retired superintendent and four gardaí accused of intervening in potential or pending road traffic prosecutions has heard that then superintendent Eamon O'Neill was arrested at his home during an early morning raid.
The raid was carried out by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and Supt O'Neill was questioned for allegedly disclosing confidential information during the course of his garda duties.
The home of Supt O’Neil, which he shared with his partner Sgt Anne Marie Hassett in Ennis, Co Clare, was searched by detectives attached to the GNBCI at 6.30am on 16 May 2019.
The court heard six mobile phones, an iPad and a USB memory stick found on car keys were seized at the house.
Four of the mobile phones were found in a safe in a wardrobe in the master bedroom.
Detective Garda Brian Reidy from the GNBCI told the court he had been informed that a small child was in the house and to be mindful of this when entering the home. He said he was advised to remove his raid jacket.
The court heard around ten gardaí were involved in the operation.
During cross examination, defence barrister Jim O’Mahony SC, on behalf of Sgt Anne Marie Hassett, put it to Det Garda Reidy that it was supposed to be a discreet investigation, to which he replied, "that’s correct".
"If it was discreet, it got out," Mr O’Mahony said.
He asked the detective if he was aware that the national media reported that a garda superintendent had been arrested in the southern region on a Section 62 of the Garda Síochána Act.
Det Garda Reidy said he was not aware of that on the day, and that all media queries are relayed to the Garda Press Office at Garda Headquarters in Dublin.
The defence barrister also asked if he was aware that "a criminal put a video on social media that Eamon O’Neil’s house had been raided", to which Det Garda Reidy replied that he was not aware.
Detective Sergeant Maria Cassells, GNBCI, who managed the search operation at Supt O'Neill’s house, said the Section 62 investigation was led by her superior, Detective Inspector Michael McNulty.
Det Sgt Cassells said officers removed their garda "raid jackets" on request from Sgt Hassett who grew increasingly upset during the search of her home.
She agreed with Mr O’Mahony that Sgt Hassett was "mortified" that her neighbours, which included other gardai, would see the officers raiding the house.
Det Sgt Cassells agreed that no criminal charges arose against Supt O’Neill or any other garda in respect of the Section 62 probe.
Former garda superintendent Eamon O'Neill, Sergeant Anne Marie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Colm Geary and Garda Tom McGlinchy 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.
