Garda denies private scheme to get drivers to donate to charity

A garda accused of corruption has told Trim Circuit Court he only suggested to a number of drivers he had stopped for motoring offences that they might make a donation to charity after he had informed them they would not be fined or given penalty points.

Father of two Mark Egan (38), stationed at Dunshaughlin Garda station, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of corruptly preventing the issuing of fixed penalty notices, one charge of corruptly getting a fixed penalty notice struck out and four charges of inducing the motorists to disclose credit card details with the intention of dishonestly making a gain by deception for another in October 2012.

3Ts suicide awareness charity

The alleged offences were committed in Ratoath, Dunshaughlin, Trim and Navan while the defendant was carrying out his normal road traffic duties, and the motorists involved sanctioned credit card payments for the 3Ts suicide awareness charity via the mycharity.ie web portal.

The court heard four motorists had given credit card details to the garda. A fifth driver told the court he contacted a Garda superintendent as he was shocked when phoned by the defendant and asked for his credit card details.

The accused told defence counsel Patrick McGrath SC he got the idea of suggesting to drivers that they might make a charitable donation when another motorist he had stopped for speeding had said he would rather the €80 fine went to charity rather than the State.

Garda Egan denied any wrongdoing on his part.

He said there was no question of the drivers being given an option of either making a donation to charity or receiving a fine and penalty points.

“I don’t believe I was either corrupt or dishonest. I believe I was well within my discretion,” he said.

Discretion exercised

He frequently exercised his discretion, he said, adding that he let motorists off if they had seemed like “decent fellows” and had no previous offences.

He said that as a traffic garda he was conscious that more people were killed by suicide than are killed on the roads.

He said he hoped what he had done would help reduce the number of suicides and the number of road fatalities.

Replying to prosecuting counsel Brendan Grehan SC, the garda denied he had been in a position of power when suggesting they make a donation.

He denied he had been running a private scheme of his own to get people to donate to a charity he had been fundraising for.

The prosecution and defence evidence concluded on Friday afternoon and the trial was adjourned until Tuesday.