Courts / Limerick / Report

State appeals pre-trial ruling in case of gardai charged in penalty point investigation

Date
2024-07-04

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Limerick

Summary

The State has appealed a pre-trial ruling in the Court of Appeal concerning five gardaí charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. The Director of Public Prosecutions made the application regarding matters raised during a preliminary trial hearing in 2023. The respondents are retired Superintendent Edmond "Eamon" O'Neill, Sergeant Annemarie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Thomas McGlinchey, and Garda Colm Geary. All five are alleged to have committed more than 40 counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to fixed charge penalty notices. The 42 charges relate to events allegedly occurring between October 9, 2016, and September 6, 2019. These allegations follow a lengthy investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The matter is currently at the appeal stage, with no plea, finding, sentence, or finalisation recorded for the respondents. The court has not concluded the case, and the procedural status remains an active appeal against the earlier pre-trial decision.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: State appeals pre-trial ruling in case of gardai charged in penalty point investigation. Charges or matters: attempting to pervert the course of justice. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

October 9, 2016 Incident
September 6, 2019 Incident
2024-07-04 Publication