Kevin McGeever trial date set over Garda inquiry into ‘kidnap’

Former property developer, Kevin McGeever, is to stand trial next February charged with wasting Garda time in relation to a six-month-long investigation into his alleged kidnapping last year.

Mr McGeever(70), with a former address in Ballywinna, Craughwell, Co Galway, and more recently in Clontarf, Dublin 3, was due to stand trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court on November 11th last but the court was told at the time he had been admitted to Beaumont Hospital the previous day with dangerously high blood pressure and was too ill to attend court.

The matter was adjourned to Friday’s court for Mr McGeever to attend for the purpose of setting a new trial date. He was present in court, wearing a red scarf over a black jacket and jeans.

Mr McGeever is charged with knowingly making false reports and statements to Gardai, contrary to Section 12(b) of the Criminal Law Act 1976, on various dates between January 29th and February 28th, 2013, which tended to show that he had information relating to allegations of false imprisonment, assault and threats to harm.

He is further charged with wasting Garda time by knowingly making false reports and statements, during the same period contrary to Section 12(a) of the same Act.

Daithi Mac Cárthaigh BL, who represents the accused, told the court he was seeking a trial date in February. He said the prosecution thought the trial would take three days but be believed it would take longer.

In reply to Judge Rory McCabe, the barrister said the charges pertained to wasting Garda time. “I hope it doesn’t waste court time,” Judge McCabe replied. He remanded McGeever on continuing bail to appear before the court again on February 17th for trial.

At the previous court hearing in November, Mr Mac Cárthaigh said his client had been an emergency admission to Beaumont Hospital, suffering from an extremely high blood pressure reading of 192 over 136, which he referred to as being in “stroke territory”. He also cited his client’s current mental health issues as another reason for seeking the adjournment .

Mr McGeever, who had been reported missing in May 2012, was found by a couple wandering in a confused and dishevelled state on a boreen in Co. Leitrim in January 2013.