Crooked garda jailed for 18mths
ON JIMELL HENRY’S PASSING OF INFORMATION
multi-disciplinary” investigation found she had made 980 Pulse queries in a two- week period, 73% of which were about Sligo.
Judge Johnson said: “The offences undermine public confidence in the gardai and mark a serious betrayal of trust by the accused not only to herself, but to her colleagues in An Garda Siochana, her family and most importantly the community at large.
“The disclosure offences are very serious matters and are arguably as serious as possible other than violent offences for a garda to commit in the course of their duty.”
He added he was satisfied the offending, which included revealing the whereabouts of a particular individual, the progress of court proceedings and other matters, would attract a five-year jail term before mitigation.
The judge said: “Given it occurred over less than a two-month period and while the accused was in the throes of a serious drug addiction and under the influence of an undesirable criminal fraternity, I am satisfied that an element of consecutive sentencing is not appropriate.”
Henry originally admitted three charges of disclosing information obtained during her work as a garda in Co Dublin knowing the disclosure Jimell Henry outside court with her partner was likely to have a harmful effect on dates between December 16, 2014, and January 14, 2015.
She pleaded guilty to four charges of revealing operational details without authority between December 16, 2014, and January 15, 2015.
Henry also pleaded guilty to two charges of forging prescriptions for medication and two charges of giving false information to obtain prescribed medication from chemists in Sligo from February 3, 2016, to April 20, 2016.
Judge Johnson told the court the accused had lost her job as a result of her crimes and taking into account the difficulty she will have finding future employment, was satisfied to mark the other charges as taken into consideration.
She was sentenced on one count of disclosing information.
The defendant also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine at Tullynagracken North, Cairns Hill Sligo, on January 16, 2015.
Judge Johnson noted Henry had drug issues well before she joined the force. He said: “During her career as a garda the accused continued to abuse drugs and it is the abuse of these drugs together with her fraternisation with criminals that led to her committing the index offences.”
He also called for the force to carry out random drug testing of officers, adding a garda with addiction problems is vulnerable to being used and blackmailed by his or her supplier.
Several testimonies read out were referred by the judge as mitigating factors. He said: “Regretfully I came to the inescapable conclusion that because of the gravity of offending a custodial sentence was unavoidable. However the sentence has been structured in such a way as to be as fair as possible to the accused.”
The defendant was also bound over to keep the peace on a bond of €500 for five years after release.
She will be supervised by the Probation Service for two years, must stay drug free and submit to a urine analysis when asked by gardai.
The offences undermine public confidence and mark a serious betrayal of trust JUDGE KEENAN JOHNSON