SUPERINTENDENT DAVID TAYLOR has lodged his request to retire following the hugely critical findings of the Disclosures Tribunal. 

Justice Peter Charleton found there was a “campaign of calumny” to smear Garda Maurice McCabe.

Charleton said it had been orchestrated by former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and this was “actively aided” by Taylor in his report published last Thursday.

Taylor had alleged that his involvement in the smear was under the orders of  Callinan. 

Charleton however found that while Callinan and Taylor were “in it together”, that Taylor didn’t do it “under orders”.

Instead of telling the truth to himself, or to the Tribunal, [Taylor] set out to destroy people by associating himself with Maurice McCabe and undermining the wife, Nóirín O’Sullivan, of one of the detectives leading the investigation against him.

Taylor was suspended from duty by Garda management on Saturday in the wake of the findings. He had previously worked as head of the force’s press office under Commissioner Callinan, during the period investigated by the tribunal. 

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TheJournal.ie has learned Taylor has now lodged his request to retire. He is eligible for a full pension, as he has completed 30 years of service (full service) in An Garda Síochána. 

A spokesperson for the Gardaí said the process would involve a number of managers: 

All retirement applications are processed in the standard way. This process involves a number of steps and a number of managers.

If his request is granted, it would bring to an end any internal investigation into his role in the smearing of Sergeant Maurice McCabe.