State withdraws legal case against garda charged with unlawfully disclosing information

A GARDA INSPECTOR has been told that the State has ended the prosecution against him.  

A former co-defendant, Garda Detective Inspector Brian Roberts (51), walked free from court on Friday after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped his charge.

Detective Inspector Roberts was initially charged in April with unlawfully disclosing confidential information on 10 October, 2018.

He had replied, “I have done absolutely nothing wrong; the truth will come out.”

The case, still at the pre-trial stage, resumed at Dublin District Court on Friday when prosecution solicitor Mark Donnelly told Judge Karen Dowling that the single charge against Detective Inspector Roberts was being withdrawn.

Judge Dowling told that officer, “That is the end of the matter”, and he left court.

The Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation has now brought 189 charges against four remaining defendants following a corruption probe.

In separate matters before the same court this morning details were given about new charges levelled against a retired Superintendent and a serving garda detective. 

During the same sitting Dublin-based John Murphy (65), a retired Superintendent and Garda Detective Aidan Stratford (50) each received an additional charge under section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

The charge alleges they conspired to induce people by deception to part with money.

These offences are alleged to have happened from the start of 2018 until the end of the following year.

They both “made no reply”, the judge noted.

The pair were held at court because the new charge required the High Court to grant bail, as it had done before on existing charges.

Murphy was not lodged in the cells and was told to “take the best seat in the house”.

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Judge Dowling asked if he would behave; he replied, “I certainly will, Judge.”

Later in the High Court, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs noted there was no objection to bail on terms already set for their related charges.

They will appear again on 6 November at the District Court.

They and two other defendants are expected to be served with books of evidence and returned for trial at the Circuit Court.

The DPP has directed that the four men are to face trial on indictment.

In his original set of charges, it is alleged the ex-superintendent participated in or contributed to activities intended to facilitate serious offences by a criminal organisation, between 12 April, 2016 and 29 September, 2021, contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

Murphy also has seven bribery charges under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018.

The ex-superintendent also faced four common law charges for communicating with a serving member of An Garda Síochána in a manner intended to pervert the course of public justice from April 2016 to January 2018. His co-defendants had been granted bail earlier and were also listed on Friday at the District Court.

Garda Eoghan Clerkin (51) faces charges alleging that on 19 February, 2018, he attempted to obtain a gift inducement corruptly, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to another firearms charge, he unlawfully possessed 33 rifle rounds and 73 rounds of 9mm ammunition at an address in west Dublin.

Garda Clerkin is accused of facilitating a serious offence by a criminal organisation from 12 January, 2018, to 13 June, 2019.

He was unable to appear on Friday, and a sick note was furnished to the court on his behalf.

Garda Manus Keane (46) remains charged that on 13 November, 2014, he, a serving member, disclosed confidential information which was likely to have a harmful effect.

In addition to the new charge, Aidan Stratford (50) is also accused of contributing to activities intended to facilitate serious offences by a criminal organisation from 2016 to 2021.

He faces another 170 charges, including disclosing confidential information or corruptly accepting a gift, inducement or reward.