A 66-year-old former garda has pleaded guilty to two charges of demanding money with menaces.
Charles Farrell of Carrowteane, Skreen, Co Sligo appeared at Sligo District Court in relation to the charges that he aggressively demanded a percentage of money in relation to an insurance compensation claim from two men.
Sergeant Carmel McGrath told the court that the background to the case was that Mr Farrell was the driver of a car involved in a road traffic accident in August 2017 in which his two passengers, John Connolly and Anthony Kearns, were injured.
Both men made legitimate personal injury compensation claims.
In February 2021, Sgt McGrath said that Mr Kearns received a call from Mr Farrell in which he was extremely abusive and menacing and was seeking a portion of the personal injury claim.
On an occasion when the two men met the following month, Mr Farrell was again threatening towards Mr Kearns.
Mr Connolly also received a call from Mr Farrell in February in which he was shouting and was quite irate.
He also referenced a firearm and cartridges and was seeking a portion of the claim.
Both men made complaints to gardaí and three legally held firearms were seized from the home of Mr Farrell, a bolt action rifle and two shotguns.
Sgt McGrath said his firearms licences were subsequently revoked.
Judge Brendan O'Reilly asked if any money had actually passed, and Sgt McGrath said no.
Victim impact statements read to the court stated that Mr Connolly had suffered some psychological and life-changing effects as a result of the events which had an impact on his mental health.
He lives close to Mr Farrell and is very anxious passing his land.
He is afraid Mr Farrell may threaten him or his family and may carry out the threats made.
Mr Connolly said he had suffered extensive injuries in the crash and took a claim as was his right.
Mr Farrell had threatened him with a firearm, he said.
He was appalled that he had no remorse for his actions and said he was motivated solely by money.
In Mr Kearns' statement he said that the events had caused him a lot of worry.
Mr Farrell has land close to him and Mr Kearns worries about encountering him as he is so aggressive.
He said that being threatened with a firearm was worrying for him and his wife and had caused a lot of mental turmoil.
Keith O'Grady BL, barrister for Mr Farrell said that his client had three decades of service in An Garda Síochána and had served on the border.
He had retired in 2007 due to serious difficulty with depression.
He said his client had a long history of mental illness and alcoholism and that "alcohol is the beginning, middle and end of his problems".
He said that the alcohol issue has now been addressed by Mr Farrell who received treatment at White Oaks and was now a weekly attendee at AA meetings.
The two injured parties, Mr O'Grady said, were very decent, hard-working members of society and had been life-long friends of Mr Farrell whose early plea of guilty in the case had avoided putting everyone through a trial.
He said his client had acted in a most appalling and criminal way but he asked Judge O'Reilly to consider not giving him a custodial sentence.
He said Mr Farrell had suffered a stroke last year and was also a diabetic.
Judge O'Reilly said that from the victim impact statements these events appeared to have had the effect on the two men of changing their lives and their enjoyment of life was now somewhat restricted, but definitely different.
He said Mr O'Grady properly highlighted his client's career in the gardaí but the law applied equally to all.
The judge said that in the minds of the victims, even though Mr Farrell was retired, this was a man that during his working career had considerable power.
In the minds of the lay person, that continues after a member retires, whether that is real or not and it is not, the judge said.
Judge O'Reilly directed that a probation report be prepared in relation to Mr Farrell and said that the court is open to hearing proposals for appropriate compensation in the case.
The judge said it is a very serious matter and he adjourned the case to 25 January next year.
