Superintendent had ‘legal obligation’ to act on bingo hall

A GARDA superintendent who was criticised in the High Court for his opposition to a bingo hall operating in Cork City was defended yesterday when it was claimed he had a legal obligation to act the way he did.

Dermot Gleeson SC, for Rock Bingo, criticised Superintendent Charles Barry at the High Court in Cork on Tuesday.

Tim O’Leary SC, for the defence, said yesterday: “Supt Barry has a statutory obligation to carry out his functions. I have to clear up a number of things in relation to my client. It is denied fundamentally that he engaged in rounding up objectors. It is the reverse, in fact. The reason they are here is because they have become aware of the situation.