Just a system?

Vicky Griffin from O'Malley Park, Southill was handed down a two year  suspended  sentence earlier today for possession of a double barrell sawn off shot gun and a 22 caliber rifle in her attic.  She had pleaded guilty to the crime.

Her house was searched back in 2007 where the guns were discovered.  She told the Gardai that she was aware there was something in her attic.  She apparently told them  'I saw it when I was taking down the Christmas tree' and 'you don't say no to these people'. 

According to the Garda that was involved in the search of her house and questioning afterwards, and who also gave evidence earlier, he said that she was in fear of her life and was under threat from 'evil and sinister people' who forced her to store the guns in her attic.  She would not divulge to Gardai the name of the individual who placed the guns in the attic.  This particular member of An Garda Siochana praised her for being a good mother, said she maintained a good house and her house was in good order.  What the feck that has to do with the fact that she allowed the storage of firearms in her attic is beyond me!!  She has two children, and obviously wasn't too concerned for their welfare and safety, allowing dangerous weapons like that in the household. 

The court was told that she was not on the Garda radar 'so it was a convenient safehouse for the storage of the weapons'........ yet somehow, somewhere along the line, she did come into Garda radar, considering there was a raid and search on her house! Brian McInerney for the Defence  maintained  'wicked, evil and sinister people would have inflicted serious if not lethal harm had she refused.'

It was mentioned that she had two previous convictions, but these were very quickly brushed over and quickly described as minor.  Vicky was not questioned during court today, all converstation and talking was conducted by Counsel,  and a member of an Garda Siochana sided 100% with her story.

Judge Carroll Moran maintained it would be unjust to impose an immediate custodial sentence and suspended a two year sentence for two years.

It was observed by a number of people afterwards that a very conspicuous handshake was undertaken between Vicky Griffin and said Garda!

So there you go folks..... another laughable lack of sentence handed down in Limerick.  Aint it grand to be on the good side of the Gardai and have them sound your praises in court!  Reminds me of the case of  Hanora Ryan  a while back..  She received a four year suspended sentence for possession of over €60,000 worth of drugs in her bedroom wardrobe   and she also had a member of an Garda Siochana, a Detective, sound her praises, when he heard that Hanora could possibly be involved.


It's not a justice system, it's just a system.

the Depths of this pair!

Lack of regulations....

A former Garda, Denis Kelly, originally based in Henry Street in Limerick, and who served three years of a five year sentence for leaking information to the IRA in 1992, and John Quinn, an IRA gang member involved in the death of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996 and who served six years for conspiracy to robbery in Adare, Co, Limerick, have set up a debt collection agency, Global Debt Collection Agency. They are registered as directors of the company based in Faha, Co. Limerick.

It seems to be the new business venture for ex prisoners since the onset of the recession! Only last month several individuals were arrested in Dublin following the Garda's organised crime units investigations into criminals involvement in debt collection. One of the first such agencies was the Viper Debt Recovery and Repossession Services, set up by Martin Foley, an associate of Martin Cahill. The Law Reform Commission recommended the regulation of debt collection agencies earlier this year.

Denis Kelly was sentenced to five years back in 1992 after leaking information to the IRA about impending Garda raids. He was caught red handed, taking information from a confidential fax, ordering swoops on IRA arms dumps. He was followed to a phone box by Detectives where he was just in the process of phoning IRA contacts and passing on the information. John Quinn was known as the 'gopher' and 'messenger boy' in 1996 when Detective McCabe was murdered and Ben O'Sullivan, his colleague, seriously injured. Quinn pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
 
 
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern is understood to be examining ways of regulating the industry - via Belfast Telegraph

a CAB ride

"In some places it's known as a tornado. In others, a cyclone. And in still others, the Idiot's Merry-go-round. But around here they'll always be known as screw-boys"

Tis like a merry go round, only Noddy and Big Ears wouldn't get a look in!


Way back yonder....
We had Operation  Platinum

Lets rewind to that 'massive swoop' back in 2008, the one that was organised the 'day before' *cough*.... the one that left 'no stone unturned'.... the one that Willie Keane said was the 'biggest in the state in a long time'


The one where, according to Willie Keane.... "a culmination of many months work initiated by our assets profilers based locally here in Limerick who profiled the various criminal gangs and criminal elements in the city"

Assets Profilers - all two of em :)

The one where... they apparently searched and raided over 150 homes and commercial premises (Accountancy and Solicitors firms).... (and I use the word 'raid' and 'search' lightly! as it was observed on most of the searches *cough* one plain clothes detective calmly walked into one or two commercial premises and politely asked for files).

And,  at the time, Willie O   (newly reappointed Minister of Defence at the time) confirmed that members of CAB were preparing to seize houses and other property from known criminals who cannot explain their wealth. "Over the past twelve months CAB have been carrying out a huge investigation into property in Limerick and they have compiled a list of properties where there is no explanation as to how the owners accumulated the money to pay for them,"

Has anything changed in the last two years? Nada! and they are still  blowing  their own trumpets!

An amount of cash, computers and apparently, documentary evidence, were seized when a number of premises in Limerick, Dublin, Offaly, Kerry and Tipperary were raided during the week by the Criminal Assets Bureau, apparently as part of the usual 'ongoing' investigation into gangland activities in Limerick.

No arrests made..... but the matter will continue to be scrutinised.



The two operations of our understanding, intuition and deduction, on which alone we have said we must rely in the acquisition of knowledge - Decartes

The 'revolving' door....

An individual in their 20s was arrested and questioned, Under Section 30 of the Offences agains the State Act, following a handgun seizure in Ballysheedy yesterday, apparently in connection with an ongoing Limerick fued. The seizure was described as 'significant'......

The weapon, believed to be a high-power pistol was recovered in the Ballysheedy area during an intelligence-led operation targeting serious criminal activity in the city - via Irish Times

'intelligence led' ??!?!?!?

yet....

this individual was later released without charge and a file sent to the DPP.

so long and thanks for all the fish...

Fuckology of the week....


Remember that  'extensive'  Garda investigation?

What a 'cop' out, but predictable by the DPP.

Gardaí have completed their extensive (my arse!) *cough* investigation, and as a result the DPP have decided that Willie O has no case to answer.

The  DPP  is not going to prosecute Willie O in relation to the sworn affidavit he made, that inevitably led to his demise from Government.

The whole shebang centred around the infamous 'brothelgate' wherein he allegedly made false allegations that Maurice Quinlivan, Sinn Fein, had links to a brothel in Limerick.

I wonder what would have happened if Willie O had remembered the name of that Gard! now there's the burning question!

Willie O said he had been informed by a Senior Garda Officer of the decision.

“The allegation was one of perjury, which means I deliberately and knowingly gave an untrue version of accounts in an affidavit. I knew I hadn’t done that"   via Irish Times




The investigation of the meaning of words is the beginning of education.....

"It's how they make a living"....

Four flower selling Romanian women, from Tipperary and Athlone, received a three month sentence, suspended for one year, for stealing an inebriated mans wallet whilst he lay slumped and distracted on the street, in the early hours of last Saturday morning. They pleaded guilty to the charges of theft. One of the Romanian women has previous convictions for theft. It was alleged that three of them surrounded the inebriated man while one of them stood watch and acted as a look out.

Their legal advisor, Sarah Ryan Solicitor,  acknowledged that these women took advantage of this man but claimed that the inebriated man had initially handed them some change when his wallet fell to the ground and they apparently picked it up!

It was reckless more than anything else" Sarah Ryan

Tom O'Donnell wanted to know what they were doing on the streets of Limerick when they were based in Tipperary and Athlone, to which Sarah Ryan replied..........(this has to be quote of the week!)....

 "It's how they make a living"

So.......does that make theft all right then?!?!? Tom O'Donnell seems to think so!
Maybe it's down to flower power!


It was not too long ago, only last week in fact,  that two other Romanian woman were before the court for prositution. Plain clothes Gardai watched (sure aren't they doing a lot of watching these days! *cough*) the women for a period of time as they approached cars. They were arrested and their defence was that they were unable to find work and had children to fend for. They pleaded guilty and O'Donnell remanded the matter to the 13th of October, stating that the matter would be struck out if there were no further charges.

When you see a moose cross the road, you tend to 'tunnel vision' on that animal and don't see the one that's right behind it..

Steve Collins has praised anti gangland laws which he maintains transformed Limerick City! The Criminal Justice Amendment Act allows certain individuals to be brought before a non jury Special Criminal Court and directives on taking part in organised crime. It has been extended for another year.

I don't see a transformation?!?!?  If anything I think matters in general have escalated....

"There's been a huge push of in-your-face policing by the gardai and gangs are starting to break up, and it's all down to the fact they have these powers now," he said.

I still don't see it,??!?

"These are strong laws and they are going to prove to be the turning point in this gangland problem."

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said 69 people have been arrested under the provisions since its introduction.

"Let me be blunt about it - the thugs involved in organised crime are desperate people who will stop at nothing to avoid being brought to account for their crimes," Dermot Ahern

Well that's true, but like, what have they done about it in Limerick? nothing....

"Violence and intimidation are a way of life for these people and we have a duty to make sure that the criminal justice system can hold sway over them"

Like many others, I believe that if they enforced laws already in existence it would be a start!!!

Steve Collins insisted gangland bosses around Limerick have been rounded up as a direct result of the legislation.

I still don't see it!!!!

Something wicked this way comes...

........all 67 of em!!

67 convicted criminals are due to be  released  from Limerick Prison because of ongoing overcrowding problems. Nothing new there eh!

The norm lately is that they release em after two days *cough*..

According to Tadgh O'Riordan, the Governor of Limerick Prison, the problem has escalated to such an extent that they are running out of inmates that are actually eligible for temporary release. (Christ I couldn't make this up even if I wanted to!). So what criteria deems an inmate eligible for temporary release eh? something like 80, 90 or even a 100 plus convictions maybe! Capacity at Limerick Prison stands at 290 and this was exceeded by 19.

Then we have this  floozy complaining about lack of privacy in Limerick Women's Prison! Lack of effin privacy mind you. It's causing difficulties.

Some people are like Slinkies - not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs

According to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission's  report  in excess of 2000 complaints were made last year. The report states that one Garda was convicted and just another 146 were disciplined as a result of those complaints.

Humor is a rubber sword - it allows you to make a point without drawing blood..

One flew over the Cuckoooooos Nest

One  flew over the  cuckoos  nest...

Gardai have apparently tipped off the  British  police that Wayne Dundon has taken flight to Britain in recent days with his wife and kids to 'avoid' heavy Garda surveillance.  (well the ole Garda chickeloni couldn't be paying that much attenention to him eh, considering that most of their resources have gone into  raiding   brothels  in recent weeks and months!). 

Gardai maintain the constant 'in your face' surveillance was getting to much for Wayne and that he was cracking up.  Wayne on the other hand maintains that he was being  harassed  by the Gardai.  I think the only ones cracking up are the Gardai eh, he's driving them 'cuckoo' with all the farting around and media hype!

It shall never be said, whilst I am bailiff of Southampton, that any waster, riever, draw-latch or murtherer came scathless away from me and my posse.

Composting...

..the next thing in waste management.


Niall Collins, TD, defends gun crime record! (this is the same ejit that called on Commissioner Murphy to get rid of Boyce, insisting that the GRA  need to apologise to the Irish people  following the  nixers debacle )

He maintains that the overall reduction in reported crime is evidence enough that the Gardai have enough resources to deal with same, and that tougher legislation has helped with reduction in crime rates! Tougher legislation?!? (hang on whilst I pick my bod up off the gawd damn floor!) The judiciary are not utilising the laws already in existence for years, not to mind so called 'other legislation'. They haven't even touched on that yet! What a load of compost! and as I've said before....  denial  aint just a river in Egypt!

His comments are in response to a  report   issued recently by Dr. Liz Campbell, (she studied as a Government of Ireland Scholar at UCC) Academic at Aberdeen University . She believes that more Gardai are needed to patrol the streets, particularly in Limerick and Dublin.  The report stated that Limerick needs more Gardai on the streets to tackle gun crime.  Her findings 'Responding to Gun Crime', published in the Brisish Journal of Criminalogy.  She has written quite a bit on the criminal justice process.

Denial aint just a river in Egypt!

''Remarkable' decrease in crime in 2010.

Chief Superintendent David Sheehan and his team at Henry Street Garda Station have made big inroads in curbing crime in the region (via this week's Limerick Post). 

I guess that's why they drafted in the  ERU  again ! *Cough* !

He was praised by county councillors for his achievements with councillor James Collins saying "we asked for someone who could hit the ground running and that's what we got".

 It's

Not

Denial

I'm

Just

Selective

About

The

Reality

I

Accept


Sheehan maintains that the number of incidents reported were down on last year.......

Errrrrrrrratic Response Unit

Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.

Accountability breeds  response   -ability.

A young Limerick man alleges he was shot at by the ERU last week.  What is strange about this story is that he claims a plain clothes member of the unit emerged from bushes wearing a hoodie and brandishing a gun in a threatening manner (now that's not leading a good example to all the hooded scumbags in Limerick now is it?!?) :o>   and then fired at him when he started to run.  He was subsequently arrested and brought to Roxboro Garda Station and released a short time later.    There was no indication from the individual that emerged from the bushes that they were indeed a member of the Gardai. 

“He thought that his life was in danger so he ran away from what he thought was a gunman”.

According to Roxboro Garda Station there is an incident under investigation and the Garda ombudsman have been informed.

Memento

Some memories are best forgotten......apparently

Maybe he needs to start using tattoos!

Willie O  is hoping that once his name is cleared , as part of an ongoing and extensive   Garda Investigation   (and I use the words 'ongoing' and 'extensive' loosely!)  he will return and serve at the cabinet.

In an interview on Limerick's Live 95FM  he stated that if his name is cleared, he would have "every prospect" of returning to senior office.

"At the end of the day, if it emerges as a result of the enquiry that is being carried on that I did nothing wrong, I'd have every prospect of returning I would suspect and I would be working very hard in that direction."

The  investigation  began following a complaint that Willie O made a false affidavit, which led to the whole  brothel  debacle.

The Garda investigation involves a statement made by Willie O that he received false info from a Garda. A short time later he seemed to suffer from a bout of STML (short term memory loss!) in that he could not remember the name of the Garda that gave him the, er, wrong information!  A short story is always a  disclosure !

Could it be a case of if he doesn't remember the name of the Garda, the Garda investigating will clear his name? He needs them all the same, doesn't he?

I'd like to know the name of that Garda, wouldn't you?


They don't want the truth, they make up their own truth.

Now, where was I?

Every Garda has his price..

Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase.

At last night's  GRA Conference  in Limerick, PJ Stone, General Secretary, Garda Representative Association (GRA) advised that Gardai who are struggling to pay debts 'could' be vulnerable to  corruption ! He stated that international experience has shown that low paid forces are susceptible to 'being got at'. He warned that Gardai who are not being paid enough are at risk of becoming corrupt.

Cash strapped Gardai want to overturn current regulations banning them from taking part time jobs.... Nixers !

"There is always the likelihood - and it has been proved in other countries where you pay police forces at a rate of pay that puts them in a vulnerable place - that there is a risk of people being got at and that's a fact of life," he said

You can't squeeze them on the one hand, where they're not in a position to pay their debts, and then on the other side of that introduce a strict discipline code which could effectively mean they might lose their jobs as a result of that difficulty," said Mr Stone.

If it's a case that some financially strapped Gardai can be  'got at' , then get rid of them, they shouldn't be in the force in the first place, right!

Wasn't it Indira Gandi that once said... One must beware of Ministers who can do nothing without money, and those who want to do everything with money!

Manhandlers and Nixers..

The Garda Ombudsman have confirmed that they will be conducting an  investigation  after the death of John Nevin, Templemore, who died whilst in custody on Saturday. They confirmed that Mr. Nevin was taken into custody and later became unwell and was taken to Nenagh Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death is yet to be released. A post mortem is to be conducted at Limerick Regional Hospital.

His family have expressed concern surrounding the circumstances of this death and said they 'will not rest until the full truth is revealed'

Apparently Mr. Nevin suffered from mental illness and had been hospitalised on a number of occasions in relation to same. His family called the Gardai after he became agitated on Saturday. His family wanted him taken to hospital. What arrived was a 'special team' from LIMERICK allegedly armed with stun guns, and 'manhandled' Mr. Nevin into a squad car. It is alleged that Mr. Nevin received an injury to his forehead before he was taken away by the Gardai.

This is the second incident of a death in Garda custody in recent days. The Garda Ombudsman are also investigating the death of a man whilst in custody in Tallaght Garda station last week.

Seems a bit excessive if not extreme to send a special team ALL THE WAY from Limerick. Sure isn't Templemore 'the home of the Gardai' like!?!?

The Templemore mentality eh :) they believe that they are a breed apart from the rest of society and subject to different modes of behaviour from the rest of us.

No wonder people are loosing confidence in the force!


THEN we have Garda John Dope who wants/has a job as a bouncer  on Saturdays......

A motion that is to be put forward at the Annual Conference  Annual Conference  starting this evening in Limerick, states that the Gardai should be allowed to work as barmen and security guards when they are off duty. The GRA say that a vast majority of rank and file members are experiencing 'serious financial difficulties'. Delegates will also be demanding reversal of pay cuts and pension levies. Well crikey, we wouldn't want them pawning off their  uniforms   to any ole criminal gang now would we :)

Does my bum look big in this?

Some of Irelands most notorious criminals are offering the Gardai €30,000 for uniforms! apparently so they can be used against gangland rivals.

Via The Telegraph

Senior sources within An Garda Siochana have confirmed that they are aware that some of Ireland's most vicious criminal gangs, -- including the Dundon-McCarthy group and several of the leading gangs in Dublin -- have sought to exploit the discontent in the Force over recent pay cuts by offering cash lump sums in exchange for uniforms.
It is known that new young gardai in Dublin and in other cities like Limerick, Cork and Galway have been approached in recent weeks by gang members, who have informed them of their cash offers ranging between €10,000 and €30,000 for full uniforms. 

One Senior Garda was quoted as saying

"We are aware of the unhappiness over pay among the rank-and-file, but any co-operation with these gangs is a most serious offence. I have heard about these offers of money for uniforms,"

Unhappiness over pay among the rank and file!!! jazus desperate times call for desperate measures eh!

Last Month  at the GRA conference uniform security was on the agenda.  One proposal was the introduction of legislation preventing other workers, i.e.security staff, from mimicking garda uniforms, equipment and transport.

Bulletproof

Commissioner Murphy has 'shot down'  ASGIs (Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors) request to have armed Gardai 24/7.  The Commissioner has always maintained that An Garda Siochana will remain an unarmed police force for as long as he is Commissioner. ASGI want Regional Support Units (RSU) armed around the clock on a full time basis to counteract increase in armed violence ("health and safety considerations for all members") . They made their feelings known at an annual conference (while some would say the annual 'shin dig knees up').  Held over three days in the Radisson Hotel in Galway.  At present, they stay in uniform patrol until called to a serious/critical incident, then change into 'tactical dress' and whip out weapons from the boot of their vehicle, into RSU mode.

However, it was just a while ago that Joe Dirwan General Secretary ASGI voiced concern over the whole RSU project!!!  At the time he said of the new system "blurs the traditional ethos of the unarmed, uniformed gardaí, which has served this country so well",  but they then agreed to partake in the pilot programme. 

I think this guy sums it up eloquently.... just what I was about to say..

Get Real Lads..

..."Most members of the public who take pride in the Garda Siochana as their protectors will have looked on aghast at officers living it up in the Galway Radisson.
How can anybody take you seriously when you stay in one of the top hotels in this country and continue to grumble about cuts?"...

oh the JOY of it

Dessie Dundon was transfered from Wheatfield Prison to Mountjoy on Sunday evening. Did he get the bums rush on his arrival,considering the ongoing problem with overcrowding?  Nah, instead he got the VIP treatment! Very Important Prisoner like!

Severe overcrowding left other inmates sleeping on matresses on a hard floor in the reception area, while Dessie was enjoying the comforts of his own cell just a few feet away. Dundon is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Kieran Keane in 2003.

Dermot Ahern  put it down to 'prison service matters'. The prison service issued a statement on overcrowding but couldn't comment on Dessie's situation...

His brother Ger was arrested recently for tail gating an empty prison van from Wheatfield Prison.  Gardai believed it to be a dry run for a jail break.  His other brother Wayne  recently released from prison had a bit of a 'hiccup' whilst planning a short getaway to Mexico.
 
 
 
Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts.

A short story is always a Disclosure

Today a female Garda was arrested in connection with disclosing information which inevitabley led to the resignation of Trevor Sargent. 

leaks and leaks and more leaks

and moles

and brothelgate debacles

And what about Willie O? and his Garda Leak? Well,  he suddenly 'can't remember'!    A number of interviews were apparently conducted in Henry Street over the last number of weeks.  Of course, it was evident that nothing would come of same.  Poor ole Willie just couldn't 'recall' the name of the Garda that passed, leaked *cough cough* information to him.

Memory is deceptive because it is coloured by today's events.......