FROM THE ARCHIVES:The battle against poitín makers in the west got the Garda into trouble over entrapment in Co Donegal. – JOE JOYCE
AT THE Moville District Court a case was heard in which a 16-year-old boy, of Glackmore, was charged with having in his possession five quarts of illicit spirits on the 4th of September.
Sgt Houlahan, of the Civic Guard, said that he and Sgt Grennan, wearing plain clothes, drove a pony and trap to the house of defendants father. They met a 13-year-old brother of the defendant, and asked if they could get any whiskey. He said that they could not until his father came. Then the defendant came along, and the witness asked him could they get some whiskey. He asked them how much they would take. The witness said that he would take a gallon, and the boy said that he believed he could get them that.
Putting a bag on his back, the defendant then went up to a hill some distance from the house and returned with a gallon jar of poteen. He was going into the house to measure it when the witness told him that they were Civic Guards, and that they wanted his name. The defendant ran away, but witness caught him.
Mr. T. E. Conaghan (for the defendant) asked who owned the trap.
Supt Galligan:– You need not state that.
The witness said that they had it as a sort of disguise. As a further disguise he had a growth of beard and ragged clothes. He and the other sergeant, who was also disguised, represented themselves as purchasers of poteen.
Mr. Conaghan:– If, five years ago, you had heard of an R.I.C. man doing such a thing, you would have denounced him as an example of tyranny and all the rest of it. You are a credit to yourselves.
Witness:– I am not a bit ashamed. We are trying to put down the traffic.
Mr. Conaghan said the witness had aided and abetted in a felony. The case was the most contemptible that had ever been brought up by any force. He was sorry the Civic Guard had stooped to what they had done. They committed a felony for the purpose of discovering a felony.
He asked the District Judge to show his contempt for the action of the Guards by dismissing the case. Supt Galligan said he very much appreciated the action of the Guards, and their ability. Extreme measures had to be taken to put a stop to the poteen traffic. It was not by going about with helmets on their heads that they would do it. They had to adopt disguises.
District Justice Walsh said that it was quite true that in the past they did denounce a British police force in this country for adopting such methods. While the poteen traffic must be put down, he disliked the idea of inducing people to commit offences, especially young boys, and then attempting to make them liable. He appreciated the motives of the Guards, but it was a very bad procedure. He would mark the case proved but would not inflict any penalty.
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