Garda accused of 'lying through his teeth'

A father and son accused of threatening to have a detective shot have alleged the garda is "lying through his teeth" and was drunk on duty.

The accused and his father are on trial for allegedly threatening to have Detective Garda Stuart Gleeson shot and left in a ditch.

The court heard evidence that the two men made threats against Det Gda Gleeson's life on a number of occasions and also knew details about his personal life, including where he lived and what car he drove.

Ian Dutton (aged 48) with an address at Greenfort Lawns, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, pleaded not guilty to three counts of threats to kill between September 2008 and April 2009.

His son, Graham Dutton (aged 26) of the same address, pleaded not guilty to two counts of threats to kill during the same time period.

Graham told Colm O'Briain BL, prosecuting, that Det Gda Gleeson did not seem his "sober self" when he stopped his father’s car for a drug search on September 13, 2008.

When asked if he was accusing Det Gda Gleeson of being drunk on duty, he said he was.

"The gardaí treat you with a bit of respect but Gda Gleeson never treated me with respect," he said.

He added: "He called me a skinny c**t."

He told the jury that he never threatened the garda's life, and that the allegations had been made up because he had made a complaint about Det Gda Gleeson to the Garda Ombudsman.

"The reason I'm here today for threats to kill is because I made a complaint to the Ombudsman. Now I'm sitting here facing jail for something I didn't do. I wish I never made that complaint," he said.

Graham also accused Det Gda Gleeson of planting drugs in his father’s car on September 15, 2008.

Mr O'Briain put it to Graham that this never happened and had been made up by the father and son in a panic after making the threats.

"You and your father went too far when you threatened to kill Det Gda Gleeson and recited details about his personal life, isn't that right?" he asked.

He added: "So you cooked up an allegation that attack is the best form of defence."

Graham denied this, saying: "That's totally untrue."

Cross examined by Mr O'Briain, Ian told the court that the only threats he made against Det Gda Gleeson was that he would have him "done" and that he would end up "on a desk in Kerry".

He explained that he meant that Det Gda Gleeson would be fired or transferred to the countryside.

Mr O'Briain accused Ian of putting an "incredible gloss" on the words and suggested that he had actually said Det Gda Gleeson would be "done" and "found in a ditch in Kerry".

Ian denied this and said he would be prepared to take a lie detector test with Det Gda Gleeson, adding: "I guarantee the liar would be Gleeson."

He reiterated that he had not made any threats against the garda’s life and said: “He’s lying through his teeth.”

The trial continues before Judge Desmond Hogan and a jury of six men and six women.