LAST UPDATE | 16 Jan

THE HEAD OF the garda press office has said a senior investigator provided him with information about the detention of a superintendent despite the investigator denying to a trial he had any role in giving details to the press office, a court heard.

Superintendent Liam Geraghty, who acts as An Garda Síochána’s chief spokesman, was giving evidence at the trial of four serving gardaí and one retired superintendent in Limerick this morning.

The case centres around an investigation by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) into the practice of halting tickets for speeding, mobile phones and other offences from being issued. 

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

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.

Geraghty, who was described as the “boss” of the press office in court today, had been called to give evidence by defence counsel for O’Neill. 

He was questioned by barristers in relation to how the Garda Press Office handled the media strategy for the day that O’Neill was arrested by members of the NBCI.

In a previous hearing a former Chief Superintendent who was in charge of the NBCI at the time, Walter O’Sullivan, had told the court that he was not in contact with the press office. O’Sullivan is now retired.

On 4 December 2025, when he was asked in cross examination by defence counsel Felix McEnroy, if he was in contact with “the garda press office”, O’Sullivan said: “I had no contact with the press”. When it was followed up by McEnroy and asked again he said “zero”. 

During that hearing O’Sullivan repeatedly denied being involved in press statements and said he was reporting back to an Assistant Commissioner. 

However Geraghty, when questioned by James O’Mahony, Senior Counsel for Annmarie Hassett, spoke of having contact with O’Sullivan on the day. 

O’Mahony put it to Geraghty that O’Sullivan had said at the time that he was not in touch with the press office.

The barrister said: “He [O'Sullivan] led us to believe he had no involvement, good, bad or indifferent. He has to be wrong.”

Geraghty responded: “It is my recollection it [O'Sullivan] was where I was getting my information”.

Geraghty said Eamon O’Neill was not identified in the press statements and there was no locations also in response to cross examination by Carl Hanahoe, Senior Counsel for the State. 

Separately, John Byrne, senior counsel for Tom McGlinchey, questioned Geraghty in regard to why there was no press statement about the questioning of Chief Superintendent John Scanlon when he was questioned about the halting of road traffic tickets.

The court previously heard that John Scanlon, who was then in charge of Laois-Offaly garda division, had been identified by NBCI as suspect and needed to be questioned. 

During his evidence today Geraghty had explained that it was routine to issue press statements about the arrest of gardaí.

On 4 December last, the court heard that an Assistant Commissioner and Chief Superintendent had questioned Scanlon as part of the investigation in respect to the alleged cancelling of two road traffic summonses.

Retired Detective Chief Superintendent Walter O’Sullivan, gave evidence that he and Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, now deceased, interviewed Chief Supt Scanlon, who he said was considered “a suspect” at the time.

The interview, which lasted 23 minutes, took place by appointment at the offices of the GNBCI, Harcourt Square, Dublin.

In court today Geraghty said that the arrest of a senior garda was of significant public interest and that press releases would be issued. 

Byrne asked Geraghty why there was no press release sent to the media in regard to the questioning of Scanlon. Geraghty told Byrne that he had not been made aware of it.

This afternoon former Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey was called by the defence and questioned regarding his involvement in the case. 

He said that a statement attributed to him was drawn up by the press office and sent to him to be cleared before it was released to the media. 

During cross examination by prosecuting barrister Carl Hanahoe, Twomey was asked if canceling of tickets for traffic offences as a favour to friends or sport club mates would undermine community policing principles.

Twomey agreed with Hanahoe that it was favouritism but added that there were policies and procedures in place to deal with that.