A JURY HAS been sworn in for the trial of four serving gardaí and a retired garda superintendent accused of perverting the course of justice by halting the issuing of road traffic tickets.

The gardaí were all based in the mid-west, particularly in Limerick garda Division.

The court were told that the accused are: retired Garda Superintendent Eamon O’Neill, who served across the division but was the lead officer in Newcastlewest; Limerick based Sgt Michelle Leahy; Sgt Anne-Marie Hassett, who formerly served in Limerick city; Garda Tom McGlinchey, Murroe Garda Station; and Garda Colm Geary, Clare Garda Division. All pleaded not guilty.

The five are accused with perverting the course of public justice in relation to the cancelling of fixed charge penalty notices. Sgt Leahy is accused of the offence in connection to striking out a summons while in court.

The offences associated with terminating fixed charge penalty notices took place on dates between October 2016 and September 2019.

The jury of eight men and four women will hear the case in Limerick Circuit Criminal Court with Mr Justice Roderick Maguire. The court was told by prosecuting senior counsel barrister Carl Hanahoe said the trial was likely to last six weeks.

The jury also heard that the fixed charge penalty point offences related to alleged incidences of failing to provide proof of insurance, speeding, driving while holding a mobile phone while driving and failing to wear a seatbelt.

The court heard the names of a large number of witnesses, many of whom were members of the gardaí and also civilian witnesses. Many of the gardaí were members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI).

The garda witnesses included senior officers, GNBCI investigators, gardaí. There are civilian witnesses, including analysts in IT and telecommunications, An Post employees and a civil servant working in the Department of Transport.

The jury will return tomorrow to hear the opening evidence in the trial.