THERE were cheers heard throughout the Mulgrave Street Court Complex in Limerick City this week when a wash of not guilty verdicts were read aloud, much to the relief of four Gardaí, and a former superintendent, who had a dark cloud hanging over them for the past six years.
The four serving Gardaí, who were suspended from the force for the past six years, were reinstated within An Garda Síochána less than 24 hours after they were acquitted by a jury of charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The four innocent Garda members, including Garda Anne Marie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Tom McGlinchey and Garda Colm Geary, were each contacted by Garda Headquarters on Tuesday and informed their suspensions had been lifted.
The four were told they were reinstated in the force and will be welcomed back on duty as soon as they are able to return.
A reliable source said the four Gardaí endured “trauma” of being on suspension for the past six years, as well as being defendants in a nine-week criminal trial, which ended on Monday when a jury found them all not guilty of charges of unlawfully attempting to terminate pending or potential road traffic prosecutions.
A fifth co-accused in the trial, retired superintendent Eamon O’Neill, who retired in 2020, was also acquitted by the trial jury of all charges.
A source close to Mr O’Neill said he was planning on resuming a claim for damages against the State, which had been paused when Mr O’Neill was charged with 27 counts of engaging in conduct that tended or was tending to pervert the course of justice, for which he was acquitted on Monday.
Garda management in the Limerick and Clare Garda Divisions will seek to meet with the four serving Gardaí in the coming days in respect of their full reinstatement.
Barristers for the four and Mr O’Neill described the trial as a “nonsense” that should never have gone before a criminal court.
Defence barristers argued the four Gardaí were simply following the requests of Mr O’Neill, who was a superior at the time and whom it was argued was using his discretion and who had the authority to cancel cases.
A spokesman for the Garda Representative Association (GRA) said the organisation was “delighted” the suspensions had finally been lifted on the four serving Gardaí.
Garda Frank Thornton, GRA Limerick representative, said, however that two additional serving Gardaí currently remain on suspension without charge, six years after they were questioned about the same investigation that led to the trial of the four serving Gardaí and Mr O’Neill.
Garda Thornton called for the lifting of these two garda members suspensions as no charges had been brought against them six years on.
“They still remain suspended and there was no criminal charges brought against them and it does bring into question the whole suspension policy within An Garda Síochána, which is very difficult to challenge and appeal,” said Garda Thornton.
“There is no logic to this, but we are delighted that the suspensions were lifted on the four Gardaí.”
Mr Thornton said any return to work for the four Gardaí would be undertaken “in a controlled manner”.
“Obviously there is a big residue left over for them coming from all of this and those members will need time to decompress and reintegrate into work again.”
– Court Reporting Scheme