A jury has been selected for a garda corruption trial of gardaí from Limerick, Clare and Kerry

A JURY of eight men and four women has been selected for a trial of a retired superintendent and four serving gardaí, which is expected to last up to six weeks at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. 

The court was told that the trial is likely to hear references to well-known people including sporting personalities who “are prominent within the community” and in the wider Limerick area. 

All five defendants, who were present in court in Mulgrave Street, were arraigned and pleaded not guilty to five sample charges, one for each defendant, which were representative of 42 total charges relating to attempt to pervert the course of justice over fixed penalty charge notices. 

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The five accused are: retired Superintendent Edmond (Eamon) O’Neill, who was stationed in Roxboro Road garda station, Sergeant Michelle Leahy of Roxboro Road garda station, Sergeant Anne-Marie Hassett of the Kerry Garda Division, Garda Tom McGlinchey of Murroe garda station and Garda Colm Geary of Clare Garda Division. 

The alleged offences relate to incidents between October 2016 and September 2019.  

They are accused of the alleged squaring away of fixed penalty charges, including speeding offences, holding a mobile phone while driving and wearing no seatbelt. 

It was originally put forth by Carol Hanahoe SC for the State prosecution that the trial would take one month, however, Felix McEnroy SC, representing Eamon O’Neill said that as the number of witnesses has now increased, “it is now much greater than it was” and that he would doubt that the “time estimate is viable.” 

Judge Colin Daly who empanelled the jury, but who will not be presiding over the trial, apologised to those called for jury duty who received an email asking them to present at the courthouse this morning at 8.30am and the jury selection did not begin until 11.22am. 

He explained that there are a number of reasons to be excused from jury duty, including, but not limited to having a medical appointment which was long awaited, working for the Department of Justice or having a job interview. 

Judge Daly stressed that: “inconvenience is not a special circumstance.” 

Eight men and four women were selected for the jury, while some were excused for knowing some of the witnesses or defendants, for having an upcoming medical appointment and due to the nature of their work and not having cover. 

The extensive witness list is made up of more than 40 gardaí, as well as chief superintendents, superintendents and detective gardaí, as well as civilian witnesses from the Department of Transport, GoSafe vans, and An Post. 

After selecting a foreman, the jury went under the protection of the court garda at 12.32pm and they will return to the courthouse tomorrow for the beginning of the trial. 

The trial could last up to six weeks.