There were joyous scenes at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Monday as retired Supt Eamon O’Neill and four serving Garda colleagues were found not guilty on all charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The nine-week trial heard Mr O’Neill had led the fight against gangland criminals in the the city between the late 1990s and mid-2000s and had put his life on the line to stop them and restore peace on the streets after 23 murders.
Mr O’Neill and his co-accused wife, Garda Anne Marie Hassett; Sgt Michelle Leahy; Garda Tom McGlinchey; and Garda Colm Geary wept and hugged one another in court, after the jury returned unanimous “not guilty” verdicts for all 39 charges.
The “not guilty” verdicts were read out by the court registrar, followed by cheers and applause from the accuseds’ families as well as a large gathering of serving and retired gardaí.
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A second court was opened for the public due to the swell of attendees who came to see the finale of what was the longest criminal trial before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
The State alleged Mr O’Neill gave preferential treatment to motorists he knew or had a close contact with, by attempting to quash their potential or pending road traffic offences when he was serving in the midwest region between 2017 and 2019. The State accused the four serving gardaí of being cohorts or part of this.
The jury disagreed and acquitted Mr O’Neill of all 27 charges against him and the four serving gardaí of the remaining 12 counts.
Speaking afterwards, Mr O’Neill said he and the four co-accused had been left “devastated” by the investigation and trial.
His barrister, Felix McEnroy, had argued in court that the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) investigation into Mr O’Neill was based out of a “vicious” pursuit of him after a prior GNBCI inquiry into Mr O’Neill for other alleged offences failed to land a punch.
Mr O’Neill said he had felt like a “dead man walking” with the charges hanging over him and felt he was treated as “an outcast and a leper” by some within the force.
He said he had given “everything” to An Garda Síochána “but if they decide that you fall, you fall very heavy and they come after you”.
He thanked his legal team, and the Garda Representative Association who “stepped up to the mark” and provided support.
“Not so much my former superintendent’s association along with some of my former colleagues, who, for some reason, decided to turn their back on me, that I was an outcast and a leper.”
Mr O’Neil said his message to the those who sanctioned the GNBCI investigation into him and his colleagues was a simple one: “Shame on them.”
Mr O’Neill’s solicitor, Dan O’Gorman, said the lives of the five accused had been “ruined” by the failed GNBCI investigation and State’s prosecution, and that the Garda Commissioner needed to take note of this.
“The State with all its power came after Eamon O’Neill and the other accused. The State said yes and the jury said no. The people have spoken and the State must and will listen.”
Mr O’Gorman and Fine Gael councillor Adam Teskey, a former joint policing committee, both called for a public inquiry into the circumstances of the GNBCI investigation that led to the arrest and charge of the five accused.
Gardaí who were attached to the GNBCI, and involved in the prosecution left the court without making any comment.
The jury of eight men and four women had deliberated on the 39 charges for a total of six hours and seven minutes after they retired last Friday.
The court heard GNBCI carried out a dawn raid on Mr O’Neill’s house, hauled him out of bed and held a photograph of his infant son in front of him when interviewing him. They also produced a photo of Garda McGlinchey’s daughter in front of him when questioning him.
Mr O’Neill’s barrister, Mr McEnroy, said the GNBCI interview and subsequent prosecution had “a vicious undertone” throughout.
The case against Mr O’Neill was “outrageous”, Mr McEnroy had told the trial.
Mr McEnroy suggested the case was brought against Mr O’Neill because the GNBCI had previously already committed money and resources on a prior investigation into Mr O’Neill for which he was found to have had no case to answer.
The arrest of Mr O’Neill was his “crucifixion” and the charges against him was an attempt to “cremate” him, argued Mr McEnroy.
The four other accused were “the kindling” around Mr O’Neill’s feet in what was a “nonsense” trial, defence barristers said.
Chief Supt Walter O’Sullivan, now retired, who was head of the GNBCI at the time, denied these claims in court.
The Garda Press Office said it does “not comment on decisions of the court” nor on comments made by third parties.
