Latest news with #Rathkeale
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Limerick Garda breaks silence after acquittal in 'nightmare' corruption case
A Garda has broken his silence over a seven-year long probe led by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) that failed to convince a jury he had done wrong. Speaking after the jury in his eight-day trial returned 'not guilty' verdicts last Friday, vindicated Garda Tom Flavin, Rathkeale Garda Station, said: 'The last seven years have been a nightmare for me and my family.' Advertisement Gda Flavin had denied 22 allegations that he had attempted to pervert the course of justice by trying to frustrate criminal prosecutions against individuals, including for driving without insurance. Senior counsel Fiona Murphy, prosecuting in Gda Flavin's trial alleged in court that the evidence would show he had 'sorted out' uninsured drivers by deliberately inputting insurance details into the Garda Pulse computer records system to try to frustrate the potential prosecutions. The jury unanimously disagreed and dismissed the allegations which had flowed from an expensive and top-level GNBC investigation probe that began in 2018. Garda Flavin and his solicitor Dan O'Gorman, have asked why Gda Flavin was brought to trial, when, as his trial heard, there was 'no direct evidence' against him, as it was put by Ms Murphy in court. Advertisement In a statement provided by Mr O'Gorman following the verdicts, Gda Flavin said: 'My elderly unwell parents attended during most of the trial and to witness them in such anxiety and obvious distress will haunt me for a long time.' Garda Flavin said he wished to thank his colleagues as well as members of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) 'for all their support'. 'I love and respect my job but I wish that certain quarters would investigate crime in places where crime actually occurs.' 'The whole case asks serious questions of standards and leadership at the upper levels of the Garda force.' Advertisement Near the end of the trial, the jury were directed by trial judge, Colin Daly, to find Gda Flavin not guilty on five of the 22 charges and to deliberate on the remaining 17 counts on the indictment. It took the jury just over three hours to reach unanimous acquittals. In a sharp rebuke of the GNBCI probe, Dan O'Gorman stated: 'Sometime before October 2018 the most equipped and resourced branch of An Garda Síochána, the GNBCI rolled out an investigation of Rathkeale Garda Tom Flavin in relation to the idea that he was perverting the course of justice in preventing certain named individuals being prosecuted for serious driving offences including driving without insurance.' 'The full resources of the investigation were deployed. In October 2018, his family home was searched, personal possessions seized. He was suspended. His reputation was shredded,' Mr O'Gorman said. Calling for an examination of the GNBCI's probe of Gda Flavin, the solicitor added: 'For seven long years he and his family have been in a wasteland of isolation and suspicion Always, he held his head up and protested his innocence. It has been my privilege to have represented him.' Advertisement 'After a trial he has been unanimously acquitted and his journey is over. He is today the man he always was — The innocent Tom Flavin.' 'Serious questions have now to be asked of this elite branch of the Gardaí as to how all of this could have possibly been visited on an innocent man and his family,' Mr O'Gorman added. During the trial Gda Flavin's barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, had argued that the prosecution had no smoking-gun evidence against Gda Flavin and he asked the jury to dismiss the allegations. Fiona Murphy, prosecuting, had told the jury that the case against Gda Flavin was anchored on 'circumstantial' evidence. Advertisement 'There is no direct evidence, instead the prosecution relies on indirect evidence,' Ms Murphy said. In the statement provided by his solicitor afterwards, Gda Flavin said: 'The whole case asks serious questions of standards and leadership at the upper levels of the Garda force.' Speaking after the trial, Garda Frank Thornton, Garda Representative Association Limerick Division, a former president of the association, said: 'I welcome the jury's verdict as it totally vindicates Garda Flavin of any wrongdoing, but there is now a bigger question that requires an answer: why would it take almost seven years for this case to reach conclusion?' 'This member, like many of his colleagues, has spent years trying to clear his name with a dark cloud of unfair dishonour hanging over him.' Garda Thornton said cases involving Garda members should be dealt with quickly to ensure 'the health and wellbeing of our members, but also to rebuild trust in the communities they serve'.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Irish Times
Co Limerick garda acquitted of charges he fixed motoring offences for drivers
A Limerick-based garda has been found not guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice after allegations he fixed motoring offences for drivers. Garda Thomas Flavin was acquitted of a total of 22 counts of allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice by a jury at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court following an eight day trial. The jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on 17 of the charges. Earlier, the jury was directed by the trial judge, Colin Daly, to return not guilty verdicts in respect of five counts against Garda Flavin. The garda, who had denied all of the charges, was supported in court throughout the trial by family friends and colleagues. READ MORE Garda Flavin was arrested following an investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI). He was accused of knowingly entering false motor insurance details on the Garda Pulse computer records system, in an attempt to frustrate potential prosecutions against people for driving without insurance. His trial heard the drivers involved were stopped at routine Garda checkpoints around the country and asked by the garda present to produce their insurance and licence details at a nominated Garda station within 10 days of the traffic stop. All of the drivers involved nominated Rathkeale Garda station, and, later, when the investigating garda in each of the traffic stops carried out follow up checks of Pulse they were satisfied the details entered indicated that the driver in each case was insured. However, the court heard some of the drivers were actually not insured and had been prosecuted in court after pleading guilty to driving without insurance. On Thursday, Garda Flavin's barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, instructed by solicitor Dan O'Gorman, urged the jury to acquit his client of all of the charges and said there was no evidence of wrongdoing. Mr Nicholas told the jury Garda Flavin was an exemplary garda who had served with dedication in Croom and Rathkeale, Co Limerick, for many years. Mr Nicholas spoke of the 'unique challenges' gardaí face in Rathkeale as opposed to other jurisdictions. 'People who live down here know it has an enormous population, transient, in and out at various times of the year. 'One policeman said (the population) quadruples and with that comes its own set of problems and own sets of vehicles – UK car registrations, UK insurance, some not insured, some not being entirely truthful," he said. 'We know that a certain number of times that people who were pulled up and stopped and asked for their documentation, produced bogus insurance certificates.' The court heard evidence that people had provided certain documents at Rathkeale Garda station, where Garda Flavin was based at the time. However it was unclear who produced the documents nor was it clear what documents they produced. Fiona Murphy SC, prosecuting, had alleged that the evidence would show that Garda Flavin had 'sorted out' the uninsured drivers by inputting data into Pulse to try to frustrate prosecutions against them. Ms Murphy had told the jury that the prosecution case was 'a circumstantial case' with 'no direct evidence'. 'Instead, the prosecution relies on indirect evidence,' she said. She had argued that all of the relevant data entries into Pulse 'were entered under the ID of Thomas Flavin'. She alleged Garda Flavin knew the drivers were not insured and that he entered their details on to Pulse to ensure they appeared covered. 'Mr Flavin knew what he was doing, and he did so to ensure those people were insured (on Pulse) when they were not, in order to ensure there was no prosecution,' Ms Murphy said. However, after deliberating for three hours and 21 minutes, the jury unanimously dismissed all of the allegations.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Jury told to find Garda not guilty on five of 22 allegations related to motoring prosecutions
A jury in the trial of a Limerick Garda accused of 'sorting out' motoring offences for drivers were on Thursday directed by the trial judge to find him not guilty of some of the charges. Tom Flavin, (51), Rathkeale Garda Station, Co Limerick, should be acquitted of all of the charges as there is no real evidence against him, his barrister, senior counsel, Mark Nicholas, said in his closing speech to the jury. Advertisement Mr Flavin went on trial before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on May 27th accused of 22 counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Today, senior prosecuting counsel, Fiona Murphy, told the jury they were to find Mr Flavin not guilty of five of the charges and that they would consider verdicts on the 17 remaining counts. Mr Flavin, who denies all the charges, is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice by entering false motor insurance details on the Garda Pulse records computer system, in an attempt to frustrate potential prosecutions against persons for driving without insurance. The drivers involved were stopped at routine Garda checkpoints around the country and asked by the garda present to produce their insurance and licence details at a nominated Garda station within 10 days of the traffic stop. Advertisement All of the drivers asked to do this nominated Rathkeale Garda Station. Later, when the investigating garda in each of the stops carried out follow-up checks of Pulse, they were satisfied that details entered into the system indicated that the driver in each case was insured. However, the court heard the drivers were not insured, and some were even prosecuted in court afterwards after pleading guilty to driving without insurance at the time they were stopped. In his closing speech to the jury, Mr Nicholas SC, instructed by solicitor Dan O'Gorman, described Mr Flavin as an exemplary garda who had served with dedication in Croom and Rathkeale, Co Limerick, for many years. Urging the jury to acquit Mr Flavin and not fall into the trap of speculation, Mr Nicholas added there was radically insufficient evidence to support a conviction. Advertisement 'He served his community without blemish and without any disciplinary blots - you know that from the evidence. When other Gardai came to give evidence, his superiors, they spoke of him very fondly and well - It wasn't far off gushing, and they spoke with knowledge,' Mr Nicholas told the jury. The defence barrister spoke of the 'unique challenges' Gardai face in Rathkeale as opposed to other jurisdictions. 'People who live down here know it has an enormous population, transient, in and out at various times of the year. One policeman said (the population) quadruples and with that comes its own set of problems and own sets of vehicles - UK car registrations, UK insurance, some not insured, some not being entirely truthful.' 'We know that a certain number of times that people who were pulled up and stopped and asked for their documentation, produced bogus insurance certificates.' Advertisement Mr Nicholas said the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice is an extraordinarily serious allegation to make against a serving Garda. 'That he (Mr Flavin) must have deliberately, knowing the (insurance) certificate to be false, inputted it into the system with the intention that it would frustrate a prosecution. There has been nothing close to this level of proof in this case whatsoever,' added Mr Nicholas. The court heard evidence of persons providing documents at Rathkeale Garda station, however it was unclear who exactly produced what at the Garda station, and what exactly was produced. Fiona Murphy SC, prosecuting, said all of the relevant data entries onto Pulse 'were entered under the ID of Thomas Flavin'. Advertisement Ms Murphy told the jury that a statute of limitation of 'six months' generally applied in respect of prosecuting offences of driving without insurance. 'It is the prosecution's case that Tom Flavin knew they (the motorists involved) were not covered (by insurance) and that he entered the details onto PULSE to ensure they (appeared) covered,' Ms Murphy told the jury. Ireland Priest calls for end to violent feud in Limerick a... Read More 'Mr Flavin knew what he was doing, and he did so to ensure those persons were insured (on Pulse) when they were not, in order to ensure there was no prosecution,' Ms Murphy alleged. The prosecuting barrister told the jury that Tom Flavin enjoyed the presumption of innocence and that the burden of proof 'beyond a reasonable doubt' was all on the prosecution while Mr Flavin 'has nothing to prove'. Ms Murphy told the jury the prosecution's case was 'a circumstantial case, there is no direct evidence, instead the prosecution relies on indirect evidence'. It is anticipated that the jury will retire to consider its verdicts on each of the 17 counts on Friday.
BreakingNews.ie
29-05-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Garda denies 22 counts of perverting course of justice over road traffic offences
When gardaí carried out checks of persons stopped for traffic violations on the Garda 'PULSE' computer records system, they were satisfied these individuals had produced their insurance documents, however, in fact, they were not insured, a court heard. Evidence is continuing in the trial of a Limerick Garda who is accused of 'sorting out' potential prosecutions for motorists who were stopped by gardaí and found without their driving license or motor insurance details/certificates. Advertisement Tom Flavin, (51), with an address in west County Limerick, has pleaded not guilty to 22 counts of perverting the course of justice. Mr Flavin's trial is being heard before judge Colin Daly and a jury of eight men and four women at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. Several Garda prosecution witnesses called by the prosecution gave evidence of stopping vehicles in various parts of the country and requesting the motorist to produce their driving licence and insurance details. When the driver was not able to do this at the side of the road, they were given the opportunity to nominate a Garda station where they would produce their documents within ten days. All the drivers, who were living in or near Rathkeale, nominated their local station. Advertisement The Garda witnesses said that, later, where they checked PULSE, they believed documents had been produced. However, the court heard that some of the motorists were not insured, and they subsequently pleaded guilty and were convicted of driving without insurance. One of the Garda witnesses said they had checked with an insurance company about one of the motorists, and were informed the company did not have a policy for the driver. The Garda witnesses agreed under cross examination by Mr Flavin's barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas with barrister Amy Nix, instructed by solicitor Dan O'Gorman, that, while they had satisfied themselves, from checking the PULSE system that documents had been produced, they did not actually know what had been produced at the garda station, nor did they know who had received the documents. Sergeant Martin Egan, Policy Enforcement Unit of Road Traffic Legislation, An Garda Siochana, told the court that Gardai, who receive motorists documents following a traffic stop, are expected to enter the insurance and licence details into PULSE via the computer records 'DLIP' Driving licence Insurance Production feature. Advertisement Sergeant Egan agreed with senior prosecution counsel Fiona Murphy that the PULSE system 'automatically' notes or records the identity of a Garda who enters information into PULSE. In her opening address to the jury last Tuesday, Ms Murphy, with Maddie Grant BL, instructed by solicitor Lisa O'Reilly, office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, said allegations of wrongdoing surfaced against Mr Flavin when he was serving out of Rathkeale Garda Station, in respect of a number of traffic stops on roads around the country, on dates between November 2016 and September 2018. 'Information came to light concerning a Garda allegedly engaged in sorting out driving insurance detections for individuals - that Garda was Tom Flavin,' Ms Murphy alleged. Mr Flavin is charged that, on the above dates, he did an act, namely to enter or cause to be entered, certain information on the Garda PULSE system, which had a tendency or was intended to pervert the course of justice in respect of the prosecution of named persons for the offence of driving without insurance. Advertisement Ms Murphy said the prosecution's case was that Tom Flavin allegedly entered details into PULSE relating to persons motor insurance certificates 'which suggested they were in order, when they weren't'. Ms Murphy said the jury would hear allegations that 'alterations' were made to the information being input into the PULSE system, and that the prosecution would show that 'Tom Flavin made these entries'. He told the jury that when a garda is logged into the PULSE system they automatically leave a 'digital footprint'. She said the prosecution would produce 'CCTV and phone evidence which would corroborate' these allegations. Ms Murphy told the jury that Mr Flavin was entitled to the presumption of innocence unless the jury otherwise found that the allegations against him were proved 'beyond a reasonable doubt'. Advertisement Ireland Donegal farmer who broke man's eye socket avoids j... Read More The prosecution barrister said the 'burden of proof' lies with the prosecution, and that Mr Flavin does not have to prove anything. She said the jury were 'not entitled to speculate' in the case, and they must only consider evidence heard in court when reaching a verdict. Judge Colin Daly issued a warning to the jury members 'not to conduct your own investigations' into anyone involved in the trial; to avoid media coverage of the trial; and not to discuss the case with anyone outside of the jury. The trial is continuing at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Traveller girls look wedding-ready on their Communion day - complete with ballgowns, carriages and three-tier cakes
Perching on white thrones beside three-tiered cakes adorned with white icing, their make-up perfect and tiaras perched on their heads, the girls looked every inch the perfect brides in their voluminous white gowns. But these scenes were not from a lavish wedding day, however. Girls from the Traveller community have been enjoying the UK and Ireland's most lavish First Holy Communions throughout April and May when the religious ceremony is traditionally held. With white, flowing gowns, balloon arches, and a carriage suitable for Cinderella herself, one might easily mistake the events, where Catholic children receive the Eucharist for the first time, for weddings. In addition to marking the important rite of passage of receiving the body and blood of Christ for the first time, a child's First Holy Communion appears to be an excuse for parents and loved ones to throw an unforgettable bash to remember the occasion. One young woman employed the help of hair stylist Tori Boylan, who describes herself on her TikTok as a 'pro bridal and party hair specialist', to achieve her jaw-dropping look. The girl from Rathkeale, County Limerick, put on a glittering display in a dramatic white ball gown, white sash, floor-length veil and net gloves. She finished off her look with glamorous makeup, complete with a pink blusher and matching lipstick. Her look isn't one-of-a-kind, and another bridal specialist, @kimsqueenstyles, worked with a duo of girls called Sofia and Vallerina to mark their First Holy Communion in a similar fashion. Kim shared an image of one of the young girls stood on the stage, which featured a balloon arch and a LED light up cross, mirroring an engagement pose, as a man, presumably her father, knelt down on one knee with her hand in his for a photograph. Prior to the event, Sofia and Vallerina posed on the stage in silk white robes before changing into their elaborate gowns. Both of them opted for similar hair and makeup styles, which included glowing, bronzed faces, and their hair up to ensure the focus was on their dazzling gold and pearl tiaras. Elsewhere, a different young lady appeared to have trumped the others when it comes to having the most dramatic First Holy Communion entrance. TikTok account @royalbridalweddings shared a clip of a girl, dressed in an elegant princess dress and holding a silver wand, arriving at her First Holy Communion in a magical white carriage with her family. She was helped in and out of the carriage by presumably her mother, who also dressed in white for the happy occasion. And it was no easy feat, with her mother and other guests throwing the flowing material from the girl's dress into the carriage before they could set off to their destination. Meanwhile, another girl called Savanna looked equally as elegant as she donned a long-sleeved white glittering gown for her special day. The same TikTok account shared a short clip of the girl posing and swishing around in her dress, enjoying time at home before setting off to the venue. @toriboylan95 MY RATHKEALE COMMUNION GIRL TODAY SANTANA 🤍✨🤍✨ HAIRSTYLIST TORIBOYLAN94 ON INSTAGRAM FOLLOW ME 🤍✨🤍✨ MAKEUP @Melanie Meade ♬ original sound - Tori Boylan Elsewhere, another called Annie added a white umbrella to complete her glamorous look. Annie had a stylist spritzing perfume in her hair before she walked outside of her home, which was decorated with a white carpet rolled out for her to step out onto. 'Here is Annie', @kimsqueenstyles wrote alongside the footage of the young girl on her special day. One dress was clearly not enough for her, and Annie later changed into a stunning after-party dress made from gathered white material. In a different post, Kim shared footage of another event she worked on for a young girl called Juliet, who sat posing on a floral embellished swing in the sunshine for photographs. Later on, the swing appeared to move inside as Juliet posed by what appeared to be the same swing under the neon lights of the after party. Meanwhile, Nicole Mcadorey from Belfast shared footage of her daughter posing in her white dress before her First Holy Communion. 'We have waited forever for this day - my little darling's First Holy Communion,' Nicole wrote alongside the clip of her daughter. It's not just elaborate gowns and fancy decorations that families have splashed out on for their children's communions, but also lavish cakes. One young girl called Nellie enjoyed a stunning three-tiered cake, complete with white frosting and pink icing flowers designed by White Blossom Bakes. Meanwhile, another event planner called Andrea Shillingford, who goes by Extravagant Travellers Events, shared images of another three-tiered cake draped in flowers for a young girl called Rosie. Rosie appeared delighted as she posed on the marble dancefloor, which was inscribed with the words, 'Rosie's Holy Communion'. It comes after a bride who tied the knot in lavish style at The Dorchester has pulled off what appears to be the UK's most expensive Traveller wedding to date. Louise Durant, 21, and Billy Maguire, 22, celebrated their union in a winter wonderland wedding at the luxurious Mayfair hotel - where room hire can start at £10,000 - surrounded by 350 guests. The bride, whose family is from the Traveller community, said the festive nuptials - which took place in December - were 'more than a dream come true'. 'It was beyond my wildest imaginations,' she told MailOnline. 'The day started amazingly and just got better and better. It was perfect.' The family had been saving for two years, and indeed no expense was spared to create the perfect magical occasion. Louise's parents couldn't confirm how much exactly the wedding set them back, but said it was well over £100,000 - and didn't baulk when figures of around £250,000 were mentioned. Those in attendance at the five-star venue on Park Lane - which has been visited by the likes of David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor - were treated to glittering décor with flowers as white as snow, festive candles, icy blue lighting and an elegantly trimmed Christmas tree. The azure dancefloor, which featured a glitzy disco ball gave the illusion of an ice rink for the happy couple to enjoy dancing on, while each table was adorned with snow globes and Christmas cracker party favours containing Bible verses. Friends and family compared the beaming bride to a 'princess', who was the image of glamour in a structured ivory gown, while followers on social media likened the celebrations to a ' royal wedding '. Louise, 21, and Billy, 22, live in Yorkshire and had been together for four years before deciding to tie the knot. Festivities on December 14 kicked off with a bang as four ex-London double decker buses picked up guests from their hotel, the Hilton on Park Lane, at 11.30am and took them all to St John's Church in Hyde Park. Louise's dress - by Eleni Bridal Couture of North London - featured a corset-style bodice embroidered with lace detailing, which fanned out into a sweeping skirt, and long sleeves which puffed at the shoulders. The bride and her 12 bridesmaids were taken there in a horse-drawn carriage from The Dorchester. She entered the church with music from the London Fanfare Trumpets who had dressed for the ceremony to look like Coldstream Guards. The service was an hour, and then guests were taken to The Dorchester for the wedding breakfast and the evening service. Starters was a mushroom soup with pastry on top, while the main featured a festive Christmas turkey dinner. To finish up, desert was sticky toffee pudding with the couple's initials and the date of the wedding written in chocolate sauce. Each table was adorned with snow globes containing photos of Billy and Louise, white shortbread biscuits in the shape of a dove, and Christmas crackers which contained a verse from bible and a chocolate in. The evening ceremony was in The Dorchester's ballroom and ran until 1am - and Louise and Billy's first dance was Ain't Nobody by US funk band Rufus and Chaka Khan. Music was provided by The Function Band and DJ Andrea Shillingford. One of the guests - Belsie Connors, who regularly sings at Traveller fairs and events - also sang for the occasion. Louise and Billy - who work for the family's holiday and lettings business - stayed at The Dorchester until December 16 and then embarked on a three and a half week honeymoon to Barbados, Orlando and New York. 'We had family from all corners of the UK, it was brilliant to see everyone. I had the best bridesmaids,' the bride gushed. 'The staff at the Dorchester were incredible, they helped make our big day all the more memorable. 'These are memories that will last a lifetime.' Her mother Vicky Morrison, who lives with relatives on a gated compound made up of five static homes near the village of Bagworth in Leicestershire, said the whole family 'chipped in' to make the couple's dream wedding come to life.
