A GARDA detective sold an engine from a stolen car to another garda, it was alleged in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
Det Garda John Ryan (36), of Newtown Park, Blessington, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to obtaining £260 from Garda Patrick Normile (since promoted to sergeant) by falsely pretending he owned a Nissan Micra motor engine on or about August 1994.
The engine was part of a car which had originally been stolen in England and recovered by gardai working in Rathfarnham Garda station.
Sgt Normile denied in court he had taken a car battery from another vehicle which was taken into the station grounds.
On the first day of Det Ryan's trial, Patrick Gageby SC (with Paul Coffey) told the jury Sgt Normile was acting as an intermediary for Sgt Pauline Reid and Garda Brendan Cahill, and believed Ryan owned the car. Sgt Normile told the court the Nissan Micra's engine was kept beside a shed behind the station. In August he met Det Garda Ryan in the station yard.
Det Ryan told Sgt Normile he had bought the Micra engine from a British insurance company, which had insured the original owner of the car. Det Ryan told him he had successfully made the insurance company an offer. He asked Sgt Normile if he knew anyone who wanted to buy it and he replied he would see.
Friends of Sgt Normile, Sgt Pauline Reid and Garda Brendan Cahill, later agreed to buy it and Sgt Normile helped remove it from Rathfarnham Garda station.
Asked by Mr Erwan Mill-Arden SC why he did not sign out the engine when he bought it from Det Ryan, he replied: "I would assume he signed it out himself when he bought the stuff . . . I trusted the man." Later he added: "I considered this to be a private transaction, not a question of Garda property."
Pressed on his evidence that Det Ryan had bought the engine from the insurers, he said: "I clearly understood Det Ryan and there was no ambiguity whatsoever that he had bought the salvage from the insurance com pany."
Witness denied he had taken a car battery from a Vauxhall Chevette which had been taken into Rathfarnham Garda station on a previous occasion. He remembered talking to Det Ryan as they looked at the Chevette but did not take anything from it.
"If there was any wrongdoing done, I suggest a report should have been made at the time," he added. When Det Ryan asked him to find a buyer for the Nissan Micra engine, he replied he would ask around, but his answer was meant to be non-committal. Later, he asked Garda Brendan Cahill if he wanted to buy it, but said it "half-joking".
Asked why he had done so, he replied: "Without meaning to offend anyone, a Micra is seen as a ladies' car. Bernie wouldn't drive a Micra. He usually drove a high-powered car." Sgt Ryan said he was surprised when Garda Cahill expressed an interest.
He agreed he later helped Garda Cahill to load the engine onto the back of a van. He denied he removed the engine at night to hide its disappearance.
The trial continues before Judge Dominic Lynch and the jury.