Handling of Garda tax theft ‘unjust’

A judge has slated Garda authorities after hearing they may bring internal disciplinary proceedings against an officer, even after successfully prosecuting him for stealing a tax disc from his station and fraudulently using it on his own car.

At Dublin District Court yesterday, Judge Hugh O’Donnell said the tax disc was worthless by the time charges were brought against Tallaght-based Garda Damien Dempsey.

He compared the possibility of him also having to face disciplinary proceedings to “double jeopardy”, and threatened to throw out the case against the garda, who has told the court that he barely had enough money to feed himself.