LAST UPDATE | 2 hrs ago

A FINE GAEL Councillor has been referred to the party’s regulatory committee after it emerged in a court case that he had contacted a Garda in the hope that a speeding ticket could be cancelled. 

Councillor Liam Galvin from Abbeyfeale in Limerick was caught speeding in 2017. 

It emerged in the case taken by the State against a retired superintendent and four serving gardaí that he made contact in a bid to have the ticket cancelled.  

It was also revealed during the trial that he introduced a council motion to move a mobile speed van location after he was caught speeding. 

The trial heard he told Garda Eamon O’Neill that he had lobbied the government to have GoSafe van locations moved in County Limerick.

The details emerged during the trial of four serving gardaí and a former superintendent in Limerick Circuit Criminal Court when garda civilian analyst Laura Galligan was giving evidence.

A jury returned a not guilty verdict for the gardaí yesterday in the case which lasted eight weeks. 

‘It was error in judgement’

In a statement issued last night Galvin spoke of his regret in contacting the Superintendent but said nothing regarding the council motion.

“I deeply regret contacting former Superintendent Eamon O’Neill on this matter. It was an error of judgement, and I apologise for that.

“I cooperated fully with An Garda Síochána in relation to this case. I understand this matter is now being referred to the Fine Gael Regulatory Committee and I will fully cooperate with that process,” he said. 

Asked about the matter today, Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris confirmed to The Journal that what took place is clearly “not acceptable”.

Simon Harris responds

“There will now be a Fine Gael regulatory hearing in relation the matter,” said Harris, who said the process will allow for a thorough examination and a recommendation will be delivered upon the conclusion of the party process. 

In the trial, which concluded yesterday, Garda civilian analyst Laura Galligan gave evidence about text messages she found of interactions in which members of the public contacted Eamon O’Neill to have speeding and other road traffic offences cancelled, or “squared”.

Galligan had been involved in analysing phone messages from phones that were seized as part of the investigation. 

The court had heard that Galvin had contacted former Superintendent Eamon O’Neill about a speeding ticket that was issued to the councillor and asked “can you sort that for me”.

The fixed charge penalty notice related to an alleged offence of speeding at 142km per hour in a 120km/hr zone on the M20 near Patrickswell, County Limerick in November 2017.

Photographic evidence provided to the jury showed how Galligan downloaded messages on WhatsApp from the phones of Eamon O’Neill and Liam Galvin.

The images show a number of interactions between Galvin and O’Neill, where the latter was asked to deal with the fine. 

In one message Galvin sent O’Neill a message in which there was a photograph of an agenda for a Limerick Council meeting – Galvin wrote the caption “Ha Ha Ha”.

The image attached showed a document in which Galvin wrote a submission to a meeting of his council. It was a proposed motion to request the Government to “review” the location of GoSafe vans in County Limerick. 

In response O’Neill said: “is sorted” regarding the cancelling of the prosecution.

With reporting by Christina Finn