Garda wins leave to fight Callinan’s ‘sacking’ orders

A Cork garda was told in January by former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan that he would be sacked for breaches of discipline, including accessing the force’s Pulse records.

However, Colm O’Flaherty, of Anglesea Street Garda Station, Cork, was yesterday granted leave in the High Court by Mr Justice Gerard Hogan to judicially challenge the then commissioner’s decision and a number of other proposed punishments, including suspension from duty and a cut in pay.

Kieran Kelly, counsel, told the court Mr Callinan had told Mr O’Flaherty that if he did not resign, he would be dismissed in relation to the alleged breaches of discipline.