Chief Superintendent denies telling gardaí they could be downgraded from suspects to witnesses, court hears

This is the sixth week of the trial of retired superintendent Eamon O’Neill and four serving gardaí, Sergeant Anne Marie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Tom McGlinchey and Garda Colm Geary

The State’s case is that, while a serving superintendent, Eamon O’Neill allegedly received requests from civilians and other gardaí about the summons matters, which he passed on to some of his co-accused, who in turn communicated with each other and with other gardaí in attempts to have the cases struck out or not pursued. Picture: Liam Burke/Press 22

A chief superintendent denied telling two gardaí suspected of alleged unlawful squaring of road traffic summonses that they could be downgraded to witnesses rather than suspects, depending on what they told the investigation.

Chief Supt Michael McNulty, Dublin Metropolitan Region, agreed under oath that offering “inducements” to potential suspects in any type of criminal investigation would be improper, and in his opinion, “unacceptable”.