A previous probationary police officer has managed to avoid being convicted despite confessing to the fabrication of a witness statement in a purported assault case. Dearbhla Gilhooley (32), from Athlumney Castle, Navan, County Meath, was accused of producing a counterfeit declaration from March 6th to April 10th, 2022 that a certain victim had retracted their claim of assault when, in reality, they had not. Her plea of guilt was delivered via her legal representative, Damien Coffey.
Sergeant Peter Clarke testified in the Trim District Court that Ms Gilhooley was summoned to an alleged assault involving quarrelling neighbours. An oral account was taken from the supposed victim by Gilhooley, however, the grievance processing was postponed and eventually, due to the delay, the case became statute-barred.
Clarke added that Gilhooley visited the alleged victim at her residence and convinced her to sign an empty C8 form, a commonly used document for capturing witness statements. Subsequently, Gilhooley returned to the Navan Garda station and entered a false claim that the victim intended to retract their grievance, which was not the case.
No relationship was established between the officer and the assumed assaulter, according to the court. Her legal representative, Mr Coffey, relayed to Judge Cormac Dunne that his client, during the time of the criminal act, was a police officer in probation, hence her comparative inexperience.
She was serving in a station described as “over-tasked and under-provided” where her actions were not tolerated. Describing Gilhooley’s conduct as a “grievous lapse in judgement”, he showed regret for the situation and revealed that she has resigned from the police force.
Coffey added further that his client had divulged her actions honestly and had fully cooperated throughout the investigation. In recent times, she began tertiary education, aspiring to find employment.
Judge Dunne stated that given the probationary officer faced an uncompromising environment and the pressure from her probationary status, she made this choice out of fear and tension. He emphasised the importance of preserving the integrity of the police force, An Garda Síochána, as a public agency and that individual officers’ integrity among the force must be unquestionable.
In his statement, he remarked that jurists, at times, ought to play the role of “tightrope walkers”, expertly balancing not only the concerns of the legal system but also those pertaining to justice. In Ms Gilhooley’s case, he dismissed the case and instructed her to contribute €1,000 to the Women’s Shelter in Meath.