Joseph Doyle, a police officer who acknowledged wrongdoings of deception and corruption, was sentenced to a three-year prison term by a judge who characterised his offences as a misuse of authority. At first, Doyle, 39, of The Hawthorns, Kilcock, Co Kildare, was taken to court in Trim Circuit Court to face 89 counts of fraud and corruption committed between 2018 and 2020.
On the third day of the hearing held a month ago, Doyle confessed to 18 counts of corruption and 11 counts of deception while serving as a select Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Inspector for Co Meath. Judge John Martin characterised the police officer’s actions as misuse, exploitation, and a betrayal of his authority over others.
During prosecution, counsel Carl Hanahoe BL told the court that a PSV inspector’s duties comprise of carrying out inspections on public transport vehicles including buses, taxis and others to certify their passenger-worthiness and safety compliance.
In 2018, the respondent proposed to his boss a retest for bus brakes, circulating the 2005 Kentstown bus accident that killed five students as an example. Despite not being mandated to do so, the officer introduced this secondary test, coaxing some owners into paying €25 for sham brake test costs, as well as charging some with €60 for free school bus licences. This sham testing involved driving the vehicle up and down a lane.
As the district’s sole PSV Inspector, the accused utilized his position of power, according to Hanahoe. “He exercises significant authority over bus operators in the division”, he stated.
Det Sgt James King of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation informed the court that vehicle owners were asked to pay the fraudulent fees in cash. Meanwhile, cheques from some found their way to the defendant’s and his wife’s bank accounts. The fraudulent scheme resulted in payments amounting to at least €3,585.
Some of the bus operators were also deceived into donating money to the officer on behalf of a supposedly sick schoolgirl and for non-existent charity causes.
In May 2020, an inquiry started due to raised alarms by some owners provoked by the lack of brake tests in other counties.
The court was informed that Doyle, after being questioned about the brake tests by one of the operators, cautioned them about escalating the issue further. Doyle allegedly threatened the operator, stating that he could make their life extremely difficult by hindering them at each checkpoint. Defence attorney, Kathleen Leader SC, informed the court that her client had put forth €8,000 as reparation for the victims. She also mentioned that since his suspension from the police service in 2020, he has been pursuing his studies to become an electrician and had plans to resign from the Garda. On one of the corruption charges, the judge imposed a sentence of three years and a concurrent term of three years and six months on one of the deception charges. Judge Martin decided to suspend the last six months of the sentence, with the other 87 charges being taken into account.