Gardaí react to Graham Dwyer trial verdict

Speaking at a press conference following the guilty verdict in Graham Dwyer’s trial for the murder of Elaine O’Hara, the investigating officers in the case extended their sympathies to Ms O’Hara’s family and thanked all involved in bringing her killer to justice.

Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Chief Supt of An Garda Síochána’s eastern division, said: “This has been a most difficult time for Frank O’Hara and his family. Today marked a significant step for the family in coming to terms with Elaine’s death. I can only hope that the family gains some comfort in knowing that no effort was spared by the investigation team in Blackrock.

According to gardaí, the investigation required the use of sophisticated methods of technological analysis, and relied on information gathered from other jurisdictions.

Mr O’Sullivan said: “The investigation itself proved to be varied and complex, involving all the Garda disciplines, and even transcended outside the division.

“This case was grounded in the expert examination of data in both the investigative process and the trial process . . . it reflected the era of investigation technology.”

Det Supt Kevin Dolan, from Blackrock Garda station, said: “This investigation accumulated a vast amount of evidence, and we had to cross a number of borders in order to achieve that - to the US and indeed the UK.”

Volume of evidence

Gardaí also detailed the sheer volume of evidence which was sifted through in order to secure the conviction of Graham Dwyer.

In all, some 5,300 hours of CCTV footage were analysed, along with 2,620 text messages. Almost 500 people were interviewed over the last year-and-a-half, with 788 statements obtained and 511 reports created.

Providing an account of his own involvement in gathering critical evidence and materials, Roundwood-based Garda James O'Donoghue recalled his repeated visits to Vartry Reservoir after items, including handcuffs, shackles and other "adult paraphernalia", were handed in by a member of the public on September 11th, 2013.

After two unsuccessful attempts to recover more evidence, Mr O'Donoghue returned on September 16th, and he spotted a number of items, including handcuffs and a Dunnes Stores loyalty card attached to a set of keys.

A representative of Dunnes Stores confirmed on the following day that the card belonged to Elaine O’Hara, who he subsequently discovered had been missing for more than a year.

"Any member of An Garda Síochána who would have come into possession of any of these items would have acted in the exact same manner I did," Mr O'Donoghue said.