A former Army sergeant (45) has been jailed for four years for attempting to influence a juror in a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
James Walsh of Mountainview Drive, Rathfarnham, was convicted last week of attempting to corrupt the jury. He was acquitted of another charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice by calling the brother of the jury's foreman and asking him if his brother "could be swung".
Judge Donagh McDonagh
Judge Donagh McDonagh today described Walsh's actions as trying to commit "as serious an attack as can be imagined" on "our justice system".
He refused an application by Walsh's counsel for leave to appeal against the severity of the sentence.
The juror Walsh was found guilty of attempting to influence was serving as the foreman in the trial of Sean Fitzgerald (55) and Jason Black (30), both from Tallaght.
They were found guilty of handling a stolen car and setting fire to parts of it on dates unknown between May 20th and May 26th, 1999, and were jailed for five years each on July 29th, 2003.
Walsh insisted he had only contacted the foreman of the jury to arrange a meeting with him in connection with an "Army reunion do". They had both served in the Army together.
He admitted to making the phone call on June 4th, 2003, when the jury began deliberations.