Limerick-based gardaí accused of 'squaring away' fixed charge notices to face trial

Two of the accused appeared in court on Thursday

Garda O’Donnell and Garda Deegan were remanded on continuing bail for trial. File photo

Two gardaí serving in the Limerick Garda Division were returned for trial on Thursday morning, accused of a number of counts of intending to pervert the course of justice as part of a Garda investigation into the alleged squaring away of Fixed Charge Notices (FCNs) in respect of road traffic offences.

The prosecution, which is being brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), followed a Garda investigation led by detectives attached to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI).

The two accused, Garda Peter O’Donnell (aged 51), and Garda Niall Deegan (aged 49), appeared before Limerick District Court on Thursday morning. They were each served with a copy of a completed Book of Evidence and returned for trial to the present sittings of the Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.

Evidential details of the prosecution’s case against the two gardaí have not yet been disclosed in court. Garda O’Donnell and Garda Deegan confirmed in court on Thursday that they had signed a bail bond of €100, which did not have to be lodged.

A solicitor for the two accused Garda members was granted an application for each accused to have a senior defence counsel and a junior counsel to act as their legal representatives at trial.

Judge Patricia Harney gave each accused an 'alibi warning' on Thursday explaining that they each had 14 days to provide the State with the names and addresses of any alibi witnesses they may rely on at trial. Judge Harney remanded Garda O’Donnell and Garda Deegan on continuing bail for trial.

The court heard that a third co-accused, Garda Paul Baynham (aged 35), of Limerick Garda Division, who is presently on bail, was not present in court on Thursday. The matter against Garda Baynham was adjourned to next week for service of a Book of Evidence.

The three accused gardaí are facing a total of 33 charges that while they were serving as a member of An Garda Siochana, they did communicate with other gardaí, in a manner which had a tendency or was intended to pervert the course of public justice, on dates between 2017 and 2019.

Detective Inspector Mark Waters, GNBCI, previously told the court that the three accused gardaí did not reply to any of the charges.

Garda O’Donnell is facing 14 separate charges, under the legislation, contrary to Common Law; Garda Baynham is charged with 10 separate counts; and Garda Deegan is charged with nine separate counts.