A post office manager has been found not guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Kevin Rogers (50) of Mote Park, Roscommon, denied a single charge of carrying out an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice by interfering with potential evidence – a urine sample – posted by a garda to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety on March 5th, 2012.
Mr Rogers was working as retail manager at the post office in Roscommon town when the sample was taken from Michael Lyons, another post office employee, arising from a traffic incident on March 3rd, 2012.
The jury at Roscommon Circuit Criminal Court heard the sample was transferred for sorting at Roscommon Post Office.
The prosecution alleged that the package was microwaved by Mr Rogers and was effectively destroyed.
Mr Rogers did not give evidence during the four-day trial but a memo of an interview with gardaí was read to the jury.
He said he had no criminal record and had no reason to tamper with the package.
After deliberating for just over three hours, the jury returned a majority verdict of not guilty. BRIAN McDONALD