A garda detective was "extremely annoyed and upset" on finding an engine he had bought from another detective was owned by a British insurance company, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.
Det Garda Brendan Cahill said that when the Direct Line insurance company confirmed that it owned the engine he had offered to drive to England that evening.
It was the third day of the trial of Det Garda John Ryan (36), of Newtown Park, Blessington, Co Wicklow, who has pleaded not guilty to obtaining £260 from Det Garda Patrick Normile (since promoted to sergeant) by pretending he owned a Nissan Micra engine in August 1994.
The State contends that Det Sgt Normile passed the engine on to Det Garda Cahill believing it was legitimately owned by Det Garda Ryan. Det Garda Cahill told Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Paul Coffey), prosecuting, that after he agreed to pay Det Garda Ryan £280 for the engine, he and Det Sgt Normile removed it from Rathfarnham Garda station.
On March 24th, 1996, Det Sgt Normile came to Det Garda Cahill's house and told him there were doubts about the bona fides of the engine he had bought.
About two weeks later Det Garda Cahill spoke to a Mr Nelson of Direct Line Insurance and discovered that the company was not aware that the garda had recovered the stolen engine. Det Garda Cahill said he agreed to pay Direct Line £250 for the engine.
Cross-examined by Mr Erwan Mill-Arden SC, Det Garda Cahill said he found the engine's identity number was missing when he was removing it from Rathfarnham station.
Asked why he did not mention this to Det Garda Ryan, Det Garda Cahill said he was satisfied the engine had been stolen originally but had been sold legitimately by an insurance company to Det Garda Ryan. He agreed it was dusk when the engine was picked up and only he and Det Sgt Normile were there.
Garda Barney Kelly said he was with Det Garda Ryan on February 27th, 1994, when he got a search warrant for a garage in Stackstown after finding parts of a Nissan Micra nearby. The garage-owner was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen property. Eventually the car was found to have been stolen in England and Det Garda Ryan later sent a file to the DPP.
The car engine was kept in the station yard. Later Det Garda Ryan said Det Sgt Normile had taken it away, but the detective did not suggest impropriety. Garda Kelly said Det Garda Ryan often called to the station yard.
Garda Kelly had been present at some of the meetings with the garage-owner and said "ongoing events in the area from a Garda point of view" were discussed.
Garda Kelly said business may have been done between Det Garda Ryan and a man who was arrested with the garage-owner in 1996 on a separate matter. He believed the business may have involved buying and selling cars.
The trial continues before Judge Lynch and a jury.