Garda denies offering defendant witness protection

A garda detective has denied that a man on trial for the murder of Limerick man, Eddie Ryan Snr, was offered a place on the Witness Protection Programme if he turned state witness.

Detective Garda Gerard Hogan told the Central Criminal Court trial of Paul Coffey, that he offered no inducements to the accused man to get him to make statements in custody and nor did he offer him a place on the Witness Protection Programme.