Only witness clears garda in fraud trial

A MEMBER of An Garda Síochána who was on trial for deception has been found not guilty after the only witness told a court the officer had repaid a €2,000 loan.

Paul Mulcair, 43, of Kinsale Garda Station, Co. Cork, was accused of inducing two people out of €2,500 in 2015.

The first charge was that Mr Mulcair induced a man to pay him €500 at Eastern Road, Kinsale, on September 19. He was also charged with inducing another man to pay him €2,000 on November 29.

The court heard that the man who allegedly gave Mr Mulcair €500 did so after Mr Mulcair said he was on a basic wage and was cash-strapped. He said he wasn’t being paid overtime or bonuses.

The alleged offence in November 2015 at Haven Hill, Kinsale, involved Mr Mulcair contacting another man claiming his wife was sick, they needed a new boiler and he wasn’t getting paid.

The witness who had lent the garda €2,000 said he had been paid back and described Mr Mulcair as a ‘good guy’ who he knew through the local rugby club.

The case had been sent forward for trial from the district court. A jury had been empanelled yesterday morning at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for what Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said he anticipated to be a short trial.

Mr Mulcair was then arraigned on two charges of deception.

The State’s case opened with the witness who had lent Mr Mulcair €2,000, which had been repaid. Prosecutor Donal McCarthy said that there would be no further evidence.

Addressing the jury of six women and six men, Judge Ó Donnabháin directed them to find Mr Mulcair not guilty.

He said: ‘I did say this would be a short case. In fact, the case is over.’