Garda denies leaking information

A senior garda has denied at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that any information was "leaked" to a journalist about a meeting he had with the accused at Sundrive Road garda station.

Detective Sergeant Joseph O'Hara was giving evidence on day-three of the trial of a man charged with threatening to kill Mr Paul Williams, crime editor of The Sunday World.

Mr James Walsh (aged 46) of Mountain View Drive, Churchtown has pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill the journalist on June 25, 2003 and also threatening to cause him serious harm.

Det Sgt O'Hara told Mr Dominic McGinn BL, prosecuting, that he first heard of the allegations from a colleague on June 25, 2003. He said he later received taped phone conversations with the accused from Mr Williams which he transcribed.

He said he had met Mr Walsh by appointment earlier that day to discuss a different matter and was speaking with him from about 12.10pm to about 1.30pm. He said he also spoke with Mr Walsh a number of times and tape recorded the phone conversations.

He agreed that in a call made by him to Mr Walsh on June 28, 2003 the accused complained that Mr Williams was ringing him looking for comments and claimed Mr Williams was able to tell him "what colour shirt I was wearing" after his meeting with Det Sgt O'Hara in Sundrive Road Garda Station on June 25.

Mr Walsh said during the call that only three people knew he had an appointment in the garda station that day and claimed the information "could only come from one source".

Mr Pat Russell BL, in cross examination, put it to Det Sgt O'Hara that Mr Walsh was concerned that gardai were providing information about him to Mr Williams and that this was a matter of general concern to the public in the light of the recent controversy surrounding the death of Derek O'Toole in Lucan.

Det Sgt O'Hara agreed that there may be a "perception" that gardai leak information to journalists but said he was "not aware" of this occurring.

He agreed that in the course of making the complaints about the alleged threatening phone calls on June 25 Mr Williams asked if Mr Walsh had been at Sundrive Road garda station that day. Det Sgt O'Hara said he did not reply to this query.

Mr Russell asked him if he accepted that Mr Williams must have had some knowledge that Mr Walsh had been in Sundrive Road station on that day to make the query. Det Sgt O'Hara replied: "I did not probe. I accept he asked the question."

Det Sgt O'Hara agreed that Mr Walsh was "agitated" about a family law case that was pending and was anxious that any adverse publicity could have an effect on the outcome of that case and that he said during the phone call: "I don't care if its a journalist or a garda, there is nobody taking me away from my kids."

Judge Desmond Hogan adjourned the case to Wednesday morning due to the illness of a juror.