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 was today adjourned until the new year.
The trial jury of eight men and four women – who have heard evidence throughout the past six weeks – were informed this Friady morning that the trial was breaking for Christmas and would resume on January 12, 2026.
The five accused are retired Limerick 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.
The five accused deny a total of 39 counts of “engaging in conduct tending or intended to pervert the course of justice”.
The State’s case is that Mr O’Neil, while a serving superintendent, received enquiries from civilians and other Gardaí about pending or potential summons matters, and that he passed these queries onto other Gardaí, including some his co-accused, who communicated amongst themselves and/or with other Gardaí in attempting to have the cases struck out or withdrawn from court.
The prosecution, led by Carl Hanahoe and Jane Horgan Jones, who are instructed by the State solicitor’s office, has alleged that what all the offences have “in common” is the alleged “interference or involvement” of Supt O’Neill.
The prosecution argued that, in the vast majority of the cases, Supt O’Neill had a “personal connection” with the motorists involved.
The jury was told the charges arose out of an investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) following a separate investigation, which did not involve the four accused serving Gardaí, and which the DPP had determined Supt O’Neill had no case to answer.
Detective Chief Supt Walter O’Sullivan, who was head of the GNBCI at the time of the investigations, denied, under oath, claims made in a statement by Gda Niall Deegan, Limerick Division, that he had in fact asked him to square a road traffic matter when he previously served in the Dublin region.
Another persecution witness was Chief Supt Michael McNulty, who was appointed by Det Chief Supt O’Sullivan to lead the GNBCI probe when he was a Det Inspector in 2019.
Eamon O’Neill’s barrister, senior counsel Felix McEnroy, put it to Chief Supt McNulty that Garda Deegan and Garda Alan Griffin, Limerick Garda Division, had made statements alleging Chief Supt McNulty told them separately that they could be treated as “witnesses” as opposed to “suspects” in the FCPN probe depending on what information they might provide to his investigation.
Mr McEnroy said Garda Griffin had also alleged that Chief Supt McNulty told him he was “only interested” in Supt O’Neill and he would “not be looking at anyone else”.
Chief Supt McNulty refuted all of these allegations.
Garda Deegan and Garda Griffin are not defendants in the case, and made the allegations in statements, excerpts of which were put to Chief Supt McNulty in front of the jury.
Chief Supt McNulty also agreed, under cross examination, that Gardai are not allowed offer “inducements” to suspects in any type of criminal investigation.
Chief Supt McNulty said in his opinion offering inducements would be “unacceptable”.
The court also heard that mobile phones belonging to persons considered to be “suspects” were seized as part of the GNBCI probe, including phones belonging to the five accused, other Gardaí, as well as civilians.
The court heard that Chief Supt John Scanlon, Laois Offaly Division, now retired, was also considered a “suspect” by Chief Supt McNulty and Det Chief Supt O’Sullivan, who suspected him of having attempted to pervert the course of justice, however they said his phone was not seized.
The GNBCI’s examination of Eamon O’Neill’s mobile phone showed he received a text message from Chief Supt Scanlon who enquired about a fixed charge penalty notice issued to a motorist for non-wearing of a seatbelt.
“Eamon, that’s a friend of mine, stopped for a seat belt in Oola. Could you enquire? If it’s too late, no problem,” the text stated.
Asked by James O’Mahony, senior counsel for Sgt Hassett, if he had been “disappointed” that Chief Supt Scanlon’s phone had not been seized, Chief Supt McNulty replied: “I would have rathered that his phone was seized as well.”
Chief Supt McNulty told the court he had not been aware that there were no details in the GNBCI investigation file of a voluntary interview given under caution by Chief Supt Scanlon, and conducted by Det Chief Supt O’Sullivan.
Mr Scanlon was never arrested as part of the probe, and he was never charged with any offence.
The matter of Gardaí legitimately using their “discretion” or their own decision-making when dealing with the public, has been a central talking point in the trial.
Chief Supt McNulty agreed Garda discretion was part and parcel of policing, however he argued, that in his opinion, it would be “inappropriate” to exercise discretion if dealing with a “family member, friend, or associate”.
Retired Chief Supt Sean Corcoran, Clare, who worked in the Limerick Division alongside Supt O’Neill, indicated that squaring summons matters was, when he was a Garda, at the core of his role of policing by consent in the community he served and lived.
Mr Corcoran told the trial that, when he was a serving Supt, it was not unusual for him to have received queries on summons matters, including from Garda Commissioners, TDs, Gardaí of all ranks, and civilians.
“I probably looked after a couple of hundred summonses in my time,” said Mr Corcoran.
Mr Corcoran said Mr O’Neill was one of the “most loyal” and “dedicated” Gardaí he had ever encountered and that he helped topple the once notorious “Dundon McCarthy criminal gang” which was responsible for multiple murders in Limerick.
Chief Supt McNulty and Det Chief Supt O’Sullivan denied suggestions by Mr O’Neill’s barrister that they had pursued him for alleged attempts to pervert the course of justice because their first investigation in other matters found that Mr O’Neill had no case to answer.