A garda who admitted charges of deception and corruption has been jailed for three years by a judge who described his crimes as an abuse of power.
Joseph Doyle (39), The Hawthorns, Kilcock, Co Kildare had originally gone on trial at Trim Circuit Court on 89 charges of deception and corruption committed between 2018 and 2020.
On the third day of the hearing last month, Doyle pleaded guilty to 18 sample charges of corruption and 11 sample charges of deception committed while he had been the acting Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Inspector for Co Meath.
Judge John Martin described the garda’s offending as an abuse, exploitation and betrayal of those over whom he had power.
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Prosecuting counsel Carl Hanahoe BL told the court that a PSV inspector’s role includes the need to carry out checks on public service vehicles including buses, coaches, taxis and hackneys to ensure they are fit to carry passengers and meet all safety requirements.
The court heard that in 2018 the defendant had suggested to his superior that buses should undergo a second brake test and cited the Kentstown bus crash of 2005 in which five students died.
While he was not directed to introduce this second test, the defendant did so and induced some of the owners to pay €25 for bogus additional brake test fees and also charged some school bus owners €60 for licences which are free. The alleged extra tests involved the defendant driving the vehicle up and down a laneway.
As the only PSV Inspector in the district, the defendant was in a position of power, said Mr Hanahoe.
“He’s in a position of significant authority over bus operators in the division,” he said.
Det Sgt James King from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation told the court the vehicle owners were asked to pay the bogus fees in cash while cheques from some ended up in the defendant’s bank account and in his wife’s account. The scam involved payments of at least €3,585.
A number of the bus operators were also duped into making cash donations to the defendant on behalf of an allegedly ill schoolgirl and for fictitious charity events.
The sergeant said he began an investigation in May 2020 following concerns expressed by some of the owners as the brake tests were not carried out in other counties.
The court heard that one of the operators who queried the brake tests with Doyle was warned against taking the matter further. The court heard Doyle said: “I can get you stopped at every checkpoint and make your life a misery.”
Defence barrister Kathleen Leader SC told the court her client had €8,000 as compensation for the victims and added that since his suspension from the Garda in 2020, he had been studying to become an electrician and was going to resign from the force.
The judge imposed a sentence of three years on one of the corruption charges and a concurrent term of three years and six months on one of the deception charges.
Judge Martin suspended the final six months of the sentence and marked the other 87 charges taken into consideration.
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