Stephen O’Sullivan corruption trial collapses after jury discharged

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The corruption trial of Limerick man Stephen O’Sullivan collapsed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after the jury was discharged. The proceedings were reported on February 10, 2026.

O’Sullivan, of Farrehy, Broadford, Co Limerick, had pleaded not guilty to a single count of corruption. He was accused of giving or agreeing to give Detective Garda David Bourke €20,000 at Bruree, Co Limerick, on December 22, 2018, as an inducement to reveal confidential information about a Criminal Assets Bureau investigation concerning Stephen Bawn Motors. O’Sullivan was a director of the business.

The jury heard a covert recording of a conversation in which O’Sullivan gave the detective €20,000 and asked about Garda investigations into his business. It also heard that O’Sullivan told Garda interviewers that senior gardaí were involved in extorting money from him. He alleged that Bourke and Superintendent Eamonn O’Neill had appeared at his car yard a number of times and that he felt harassed and concerned for his own safety and his family’s safety.

After the jury began deliberating, the defence applied to call a previously unknown witness whose evidence it said was potentially highly relevant. The judge said the prosecution had conceded that the witness was highly relevant and was seeking to discharge the jury and have a retrial.

Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin ruled that the defence must have an opportunity to put the evidence before the court. She said she was not satisfied that continuing deliberations without it would do justice to anyone. She discharged the jury and listed the case for mention on February 20 to fix a trial date.