Garda looked for credit card details, court told

A witness has told Trim Circuit Court he contacted a Garda superintendent after he became uneasy when a garda asked him for his credit card details so he could make a donation to charity instead of being given penalty points for speeding.

John Hayes told the court he was shocked when the garda phoned him and asked him for his credit card details.

Mark Egan (37), who is stationed at Dunshaughlin Garda station in Co Meath, 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 motorists to disclose credit cards details with the intention of dishonestly making a gain by deception for the 3Ts charity in October 2012.

The alleged offences were committed in Ratoath, Dunshaughlin, Trim and Navan while the defendant was carrying out road traffic duties. Motorists involved sanctioned credit card payments to the charity totalling €190.

Marathon sponsorship

The court heard the defendant had signed up for the 2012 Dublin City Marathon to raise funds for 3Ts suicide awareness charity and was using the website mycharity.ie for sponsorship donations.

Mr Hayes told the court he had been pulled over by Garda Egan for speeding near Ratoath on October 8th, 2012.

He said the defendant later rang him and suggested he could make a donation to charity in lieu of a fine and penalty points.

He said he was shocked when the defendant asked him for his credit card details. He said he fobbed the garda off and two days later contacted a Garda superintendent about the incident.

Speeding

Barry Shevlin

told the court he had been late for work when Garda Egan caught him speeding on the Curragha road in Co Meath on October 8th, 2012, and asked if he would consider a donation to charity instead of being given penalty points.

He said he agreed and later received a phone call from the garda who requested his credit card details and arranged for a donation of €50 for 3Ts through the mycharity.ie site.

Three other witnesses said the defendant had told them they could make donations to charity to avoid penatly points.

The court heard none of the witnesses subsequently received fines or penalty points.

The trial is continuing.