Redmond not guilty of corruption charge

The Director of Public Prosecutions is to announce next month whether it plans to pursue its case against former Dublin assistant county manager George Redmond, who walked free from court today after a jury found him not guilty of one of two charges in his corruption trial.

They failed to reach a majority verdict on another charge.

George Redmond leaves court in Dublin today

Mr Redmond (83) of College Gate, Castleknock, pleaded not guilty to two charges arising out of a compulsory purchase order on 167 acres of land at Buzzardstown and Coolmine, in northwest Dublin when he was employed as an assistant county manager.

He denied receiving £10,000 from the late Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Dunne between October 10th, 1985 and June 26th, 1989 as an inducement in respect of the order and also denied receiving the money "as a reward for showing favour to another" in relation to the same land. 

The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court resumed deliberations this morning after retiring to a hotel last night.

At 11.23am the jury returned the verdict of not guilty for the charge of receiving money as a reward for showing favour to another in relation to the lands.

The jury then continued its deliberations on the other charge having been told it could return a majority verdict. However, they returned shortly after 12.30pm and informed the court they could not reach that majority.

Judge Joseph Matthews dismissed the jury of three women and eight men for the night on day 17 of the trial after they had deliberated for four hours.

The case will be mentioned in June at the same court when the Director of Public Prosecutions will announce if a further trial will be held on the outstanding charge.

The trial arose out of Mr Redmond's arrest on February 19th, 1999 at Dublin airport when he arrived from the Isle of Man carrying a bag in which there were bundles of Irish and Sterling notes and four stockbroker cheques with a total value of about £300,000.

Later, he told gardaí he that the money he was carrying came from "nixers" he did while he was assistant Dublin county manager.