A corrupt ex-garda jailed for deception in relation to an insurance claim for a car crash that never happened has lost an appeal against his conviction.
John Joe Synnott (61), with an address at Camblin Hill, New Ross, Co Wexford, had pleaded not guilty at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court to three charges relating to a reported road traffic accident on September 9th, 2007 which prosecuting lawyers said never happened.
He was found guilty by a jury on all counts and was sentenced to three years imprisonment with the final two suspended by Judge Alice Doyle on June 30th, 2011.
Synnott was the investigating officer when he reported that an Audi A4 travelling towards New Ross had hit a parked Subaru Impreza. Two claims were paid out by AXA Insurance, totalling €23,352.
During the trial, Synnott had admitted calling the Garda information service to report the crash and that he had not attended the scene.
The link between the two drivers and Synnott was a known criminal named Joe Redmond – a partner of one of the supposed drivers - who was a lifelong friend of Synnott’s, according to the evidence of a retired superintendent at trial.
Mr Redmond’s wife, from whom he was separated, was Beverley Redmond, the owner and alleged driver of the Audi vehicle, while his girlfriend was Lorraine Quinlan, the owner of the Subaru vehicle.
Ms Redmond received €9,910 and Ms Quinlan received €13,422 in compensation for damage allegedly caused. The ultimate payer was AXA Insurance Co Ltd.
The prosecution case was that Synnott consciously and deliberately assisted the drivers and Mr Redmond in the perpetration of a fraud by procuring the creation of a PULSE incident report and by completing a Traffic Accident Preliminary Report in respect of the non-existent crash.
These, the prosecution contended, were intended to provide a paper trail in the event of one or both of the insurers seeking verification.
“As it happened, no request for verification or other enquiry concerning the alleged accident was received from the insurers … before the claims were paid”, according to a judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.
Synnott had sought to appeal his conviction on a number of grounds related to the trial judge’s instructions to the jury but Mr Justice John Edwards said the three-judge court was unable to uphold any of his grounds.
Mr Justice Edwards, who sat with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal.
Synnott had been granted bail in October 2011 pending his appeal but he was lead away to serve the balance of his sentence after judgment was delivered.
The court heard Synnott is presently in custody on another matter, the details of which were not outlined in court. He is no longer a serving garda.