Detectives spent five and half hours raiding Superintendent’s office and home, Limerick Garda trial told

David Raleigh

A Garda Superintendent told a trial on Wednesday that he and a colleague seized summons sheets, mobile phones, computer equipment, and documents when they raided the office of the Limerick Garda Superintendent who is accused of interfering in road traffic prosecutions.

Superintendent Cormac Brennan, Mountjoy Garda Station, Dublin, who was a Detective Inspector attached to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) at the time, said he and a colleague spent five and half hours searching Supt Eamon O’Neill’s office, Roxboro Road Garda Station, Limerick, under warrant, at 7am on May 16th, 2019.

A second search warrant was executed at Supt O’Neill’s home, which he shared with his partner Sgt Anne Marie Hassett, who is a co-accused in the trial.

Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, heard that Supt Brennan seized at least 24 exhibits from Supt O’Neill’s office, including, two summonses; three mobile phones; a laptop; a computer hard-drive; a USB key; a laptop bag; a diary; a bank receipt for a debit card, a sheet of paper with a username and password; a National Criminal Intelligence Unit (NCRI) report on a unrelated matter; information in respect of a unrelated murder case; Supt O’Neill’s personal file; an unrelated intelligence document; and an unrelated complaint against an unidentified individual.

Supt Brennan said he “interviewed a witness” at Roxboro Road Garda Station, and he said later on he met with the head of the Limerick Garda Division, Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche, who handed him a number of documents.

Supt Brennan said he then brought the exhibits to Athlone Garda Station, where Supt O’Neill was being held for questioning by GNBCI detectives on suspicion of disclosing information to a third party, contrary to Section 62 of the Garda Siochana Act - no charges were ever brought against anyone in respect of those suspicions, the court heard.

During the raid on Supt O’Neill’s home at 6.36am, gardaí seized eight mobile phones, including four found in a safe in a wardrobe.

Sergeant Niall Duffy, a “technical sergeant attached to the electronics media examination unit, located at a Garda Headquarters”, gave evidence he received eight mobile phones from a GNBCI officer, including two phones associated with Supt Eamon O’Neill, now retired, and one associated with his partner, Sgt Anne Marie Hassett.

Sgt Duffy said one of Supt O’Neill’s mobile phones had to be sent to global security tech firm Cellbrite, in London for analysis.

Jonathan Chan, forensic mobile phone analyst with Cellbrite, which provides services and software to police forces, including to An Garda Síochána, gave evidence to the court via video link from London.

Mr Chan said he extracted data from a mobile, which the court heard belonged to Supt O’Neill, and he produced an analysis report on the data extraction to the GNBCI.

Mr O’Neill, Sgt Anne Marie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Tom McGlinchey, Garda Colm Geary, are on trial together, accused of a total of 39 counts of “engaging in conduct tending or intending to pervert the course of justice”, in respect of alleged interference in road traffic prosecutions.

The five were arrested and charged in May 2021, arising out of a GNBCI investigation.

It’s the State’s case that citizens contacted Supt O’Neill about fixed charge penalty notices, and that Supt O’Neill, in turn, allegedly contacted Garda colleagues for the purpose of terminating the FCPNs.

Prosecuting senior counsel Carl Hanahoe earlier told the jury that Mr O’Neill was the common denominator in respect of all 39 charges.

“What all the offences have in common is the interference or involvement of Eamon O’Neill,” Mr Hanahoe said.

Between them, Sgt Hassett, Garda McGlinchey and Garda Geary are charged with a total of 10 counts that they did communicate with another garda or gardaí for the purpose of terminating potential or pending road traffic prosecutions.

Sergeant Leahy is accused of two counts of carrying out her duties as a Court Presenter, with intent to pervert the course of justice, by applying to a district court to have a summons withdrawn, and a summons struck out, in respect of two road traffic prosecutions.

All five deny the charges.

The trial before a jury of eight men and four women continues on Thursday.