THE TRIAL OF four Gardaí and a retired Superintendent, who are charged with more than 40 counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, will take approximately eight weeks, Limerick Circuit Court heard today. 

The five accused are retired Garda Superintendent Edmond “Eamon” O’Neill, (56); Garda Colm Geary (36); Sergeant Annemarie Hassett, (39); Sergeant Michelle Leahy, (47) and Garda Thomas McGlinchey.

The 42 total charges relate to events that allegedly occurred on dates between October 9, 2016, and September 6, 2019.

The charges follow a lengthy investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI).

It’s alleged the five accused attempted to pervert the course of justice in relation to fixed charge penalty notices.

Judge Tom O’Donnell requested counsel in the case to consider issues of commonality in an effort to move the case forward.

He has already granted legal aid to the five accused to cover the cost of a documentary junior counsel to manage what was described as a complex case.

He was told by counsel representing the accused that eight weeks would be required for the trial.

The court heard the issue of phone data will form a significant part of pretrial matters, as well as in addition to the execution of a search warrant.

Judge O’Donnell fixed the week beginning 31 July to hear pretrial matters, with a view to setting a trial for a date in October.

He asked if the issue of separate trials was something he had to consider as it raises its own complexities and was told this was an “unlikely scenario”.

The matter was adjourned to hear further directions from legal councils, on July 31.

An earlier application brought last year by the DPP, to have the trial relocated out of Limerick to Dublin, was refused by Judge O’Donnell.