Conor Lally on the sentencing of the former superintendent

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Last week, former garda superintendent John Murphy was jailed for six and a half years after he was caught holding cannabis worth nearly €260,000 in his home in Dublin. Photograph: Padraig O'Reilly

Last week, former garda superintendent John Murphy was jailed for six and a half years after he was caught holding cannabis worth nearly €260,000 in his home in Dublin. The former superintendent is also at the centre of an investigation into allegations that information held by the force was supplied to the Hutch criminal gang.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard during Murphy’s trial that the 62-year-old had built up financial debts of €855,000 due to poor business decisions made in the 10 years after he retired from the force.

But how does a senior garda become involved in the drugs trade and allegedly end up collaborating with criminals?

And what kind of message does Murphy’s arrest and corruption within An Garda Síochána send to the general public?

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Irish Times security and crime editor Conor Lally joins today’s podcast to discuss the arrest and sentencing of the former garda superintendent and the ongoing inquiry into alleged leaks from an Garda to members of a criminal gang.

In The News is presented by Sorcha Pollak and Conor Pope and produced by Declan Conlon, Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan.

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak is an Irish Times reporter specialising in immigration issues and cohost of the In the News podcast