Defendant: Common for gardaí to drink alcohol seized during cases

A former Bray-based garda yesterday said it was common practice for unclaimed drink seized during a Garda investigation to be dished out among the members.

James Murphy was giving evidence on the third day of his trial for an alleged offence of dishonestly appropriating two slabs of Bulmers cider which had been stolen from Centra in Bray on June 20, 2009.

Murphy, aged 24, of Duncormack, New Ross, Co. Wexford, who was a probationary garda at the time, has pleaded not guilty to the charge before a jury of eight women and four men.

The jury is due to retire to consider its verdict today after closing speeches by the State barrister Paul Murphy, prosecuting, and Liam Stafford, defending, and Judge Michael O’Shea’s charge to the jury.

Mr Murphy, who was the investigating garda in respect of the theft, said that it was common practice that drink was dished out among members.

He told the court he was not saying all gardaí were at it but that it was common practice.

Mr Murphy said that when Insp Michael Walsh asked him what had happened to the beer he said it had been destroyed.

The sixth time the inspector asked him about the cider he said it had been drink at a house party and they all burst out laughing.