A DETECTIVE spent an afternoon in a pub watching a rugby match before he was involved in a crash as he drove an unmarked Garda car along the M50, a court has heard.
Det Garda Kevin Keys, who is attached to Mountjoy Garda station in Dublin, admits he lost control of the car on the evening of February 6th, 2010. However, he has pleaded not guilty at Dublin District Court to dangerous driving and taking the unmarked Ford Mondeo without authorisation from his Garda station.
Gareth Wooster told Judge Conal Gibbons that at about 7.50pm he had been driving his 4X4 along the motorway when to his left, a maroon Ford Mondeo driven by Det Garda Keys, approached junction 11. The Mondeo driver attempted to enter the exit, which was cordoned off with traffic cones, but then came back on to the M50.
“I saw the brake lights and the Mondeo wobbled from side to side and did a U-turn on the motorway,” Mr Wooster said. The vehicles were then in collision. Mr Wooster said the Mondeo had been driving significantly faster than his 4x4. He was hurt when the airbags in his 4x4 were activated but he managed to get out of his vehicle, which was written off.
Mr Wooster said Det Garda Keys was “slumped across the lap of a passenger and was conscious” but appeared “dazed like a rabbit in the headlights”. Mr Wooster asked the two men if they were okay but they did not acknowledge him. “It was like I did not exist, like I was not there,” he said.
Mr Wooster was taken to Tallaght hospital where he was breathalysed, resulting in a zero reading. However, he noticed that neither men who had been in the Mondeo came into the hospital.
Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance crew member Anthony O’Connor said he brought Det Garda Keys and Det Sgt Peter Woods to Tallaght hospital. There was a smell of alcohol from Det Garda Keys’s breath and it was obvious he had drink taken, he said. On arrival at Tallaght hospital both men declined to be admitted for treatment and left.
Retired garda Brian Ford told the court he happened upon the accident. He gained partial entry to the back of the Mondeo and noticed a strong smell of alcohol, particularly from the passenger.
He said the driver, Det Keys, appeared to be in shock and was saying “I am f****d, I am f****d”.
He agreed with prosecuting counsel Ronan Kennedy that in his statement to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, he said he got “a passing whiff” of alcohol from Det Garda Keys as he was being put into an ambulance.
The court had heard that earlier that day Det Garda Keys had been rostered to work from 9am to 5pm but at about 2pm he went to a pub in Phibsboro where he met off-duty colleagues and watched an Ireland versus Italy rugby match.
Det Garda Michael Smith, who was off duty at the time, said there was a rounds system and Det Garda Keys was drinking lager and possibly had six pints.
However, he agreed with defence solicitor Dara Robinson that it was possible Det Garda Keys had been drinking shandies, as well as water and cups of coffee. He was also aware his colleague had a meal at the pub and that a drink had been accidentally spilled on him there.
Det Garda Keys left at about 7.30pm along with Det Sgt Peter Woods, the court heard.After the crash, Garda Sgt Pat Slattery and an ombudsman investigator went to Det Garda Keys’s home after it was learned he had not sought treatment. Sgt Slattery said there was no answer but later, at about 4am, he and the investigator spoke to him and saw he was suffering from “pangs” of pain. However, too much time had elapsed to carry out a breathalyser test.
The case continues next week.