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A DETECTIVE GARDA has been convicted of dangerous driving after he was involved in a crash in an unmarked garda car.
Kevin Keys, of Mountjoy station in north Dublin city, was fined €500 and disqualified from holding a driver’s license for two years in court today.
However, he was found not guilty of taking the car without authorisation.
Det Gda Keys was driving the car on February 6, 2010 when it was involved in a crash with a 4×4 on the M50.
The court heard he had been rostered to work until 5pm that day, but had gone to a pub in Phibsboro at around 2pm and stayed there until around 7.30pm, the Irish Times reported last month.
The incident was investigated by the Garda Ombudsman, who gathered evidence and sent the file to the DPP which then decided to launch a prosecution.
It’s understood that no decision has yet been made on whether Det Gda Keys will face additional professional disciplinary measures.
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And was he breathalysed? There’s no mention of drink driving.
From previous accounts he wasn’t breathalysed and I presume that no charge can be laid.
According to legislation a garda doesn’t need a driving license to drive once it is in the line of duty. Does this mean Detective Garda Keys is free to return to work and drive immediately ?
Got away with that lightly imo..
Of course he did. The only reason they punished him is because they have to at least act as if they punish cops for this behaviour. They do it all the time,cops take the piss completely. They should lead by example
There was no drink driving charge Neil, and I don’t see anything in the article that suggests he was drunk, there are hundreds of cases like this every day around the country and a whole lot of these people receive no convictions, because he was a guard it makes the headlines.
Well this article states that he was in a pub for 5 and a half hours, and another states that he admitted drinking “4 or 5 shandies” as well – http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0210/1224311575968.html
4/5 shandies over 5.5 hrs wouldn’t necessarily put him over the limit. Especially as most places give you shandies are no more than 1/3 larger or smithwicks. And still charge a fiver for it. Approx.
@tom How many hours do you spend in the pub during working hours supping a few shandies?
@ Brian Daly
To answer your question, which I might add, seems to have missed my point entirely, NONE.
My point was related to the absence of a drink driving charge and a possible reason for it.
Fairly generalised comment Emsy.
Lock him up
If you check on the case , there was no “drink driving ” charge at all . So, the same as any individual before the courts , all the judge can deal with is the fact that he was involved in an accident on the M50 . evidence was given about driving and the judge convicted him on that evidence !
Plain and simple .
Yes – he should be setting an example, but as described in court that he was ” a top detective , involved in serious murder cases etc , involved in locking up many serious criminals and gangland figures ! !
Some people need to give him a break and not try and crucify him.
He did wrong and now he going be paying for it ! !
Just as we he wast not concealing garlic!
“It’s understood that no decision has yet been made on whether Det Gda Keys will face additional professional disciplinary measures.”
It beggars belief why he is still in the force. If I knocked off work and headed to the pub I know what would be the likleiy outcome. Stunning that a person who needs to be in full possesion of their faculties to exercise the law could even consider consuming alcohol while on duty.
So we now know that the Gardai consider themselves above the law:
a) most believe that the rules of the road don’t apply to them and don’t have to be obeyed at any time. hence we have Garda cars and privately owned parked up on and obstructing the pavement outside Harcourt st. ROTR should only be broken if required in the course of duty not as a matter of course..
b) Gardai can use strict anti-terrorism laws to check up on their ex-lovers mobile phone records and get no reprimand.
c) Apparently you can now spend most of your day in the pub.
Where are the standards?
If the commissioner is reading this it would be great if you could get in there and kick some ass. The law abiding taxpayer is fed up with this kind of behaviour.
Unfortunate that I can only give you one thumbs up.
the commissioner is reading this , he posts under the alias “shanti om”
Sounds like you are passing your opinions across as facts… Do you have sources for any of these points you made? The last one is particularly hilarious!
And he wasn’t banned from driving as a garda doesn’t need a license once he’s driving in the line of duty so he can return to work driving a garda car.
So are the vast,vast majority of law abiding, honest, tax paying cops. No-one wants to work with an idiot like this. An embarrassment to the Garda Siochana. He may well be dismissed now he has been convicted. Lay off the generalisation folks.. Most Gardai are fine, just a few rotten eggs.
in the pub from 2.30 till 7pm an wasnt due to finish work till 5pm then crashes a “company” car!! in any normal job you would be sacked on the spot! lucky he didnt kill someone or he may have got a 4 year ban an €1000 fine
This was a criminal case most employers in this situation will suspend the employee pending the outcome.
if evidence as to whether he was disciplined by his employer were revealed in court it could have implied guilt & therefore may have hindered his right to a fair trial.
You can’t have a criminal conviction & be a serving Garda so barring a successful appeal ,He will be fired simple as that
@ Multi- While it’s a conviction, it is one under the Road Traffic Act & not the Criminal Justice Act. He won’t be fired, (simple as that) as you said. Yes, he may well end up being sacked, it’s not as simple a matter as you believe to do so!
Double jeopardy here by all Accounts ! !
Who policies the police?
The Garda Ombudsman
Didn’t think they sold “shandies” anymore, but they must be pretty strong of he couldn’t remember if he had four or five, as he stated on evidence.
I dunno… Coastguard?
I’m not a garda and I gave it a thumbs down. The Father Ted comment was a bit silly in fairness…
I wonder would paddy the plasterer or jim the carpenter get as much media attention? I think not
This was highlighted because he is a guard, his job is to up hold the law and lead by example! If it was a builder who built a dodgy house or block of apartments then I’m sure that too would be published in the media which has happened in the past!
This guy obviously wasnt the brightest but what he got for what he did was not a light sentence.
The court /judge makes the decision , the Dpp prosecutes with the help of the guards who collect evidence.
A successful prosecution is one that results in a conviction.
A conviction was secured , 2 year ban is not unusual for a drink drive case with no personal injuries
Its unclear from the report whether the Sentence takes account of breathalyser evidence or not .
But its not unusual for the Dpp to drop a charge when another one is more likely to convict , it happens all the time , but it only makes news when it’s a cop , a govt minister , or a shit Irish Comedian.
This is a criminal Conviction which means unless its overturned on appeal he can’t be a guard anymore .
of course the ombudsman collected the evidence in this case which actually helps prove my point more
All the thumbs down…hmmm garda present…
One rule for one and one for another seems to apply..
Interesting how u think that.. That all guards would ‘row in’ behind someone who has being convicted of a criminal offence by giving a thumbs down… I seriously doubt it
This guy is a loser hands down. He and his supervisor in the Gardai need to be fired. Imagine if he had seriously injured himself in the accident. He would be at home watching reruns of Father Ted while he collected a full paycheck.
There is a lot of Cop-Bashers here folks. Yer manno Keys deserves the sack and he has to be. Claiming hours whilst in the pub, Drinking on duty, taking a car and crashing it after admitting consuming alcohol, I’m sure the cops have regulations like the army. As in you must shave, behave in a manner befitting the uniform and the like. Watch this space, they may wait until the media fuss dies down a little..
#multi talentless
Is a conviction Under the road traffic act , a criminal Conviction ? ?
Would that mean then that he wouldn’t be sacked and the subject to discipline with the Gardai. I would presume that he won’t remain a detective for
Much longer and will end up as a uniform garda !
Thats not how it works , I’m not a guard or a legal eagle but I’m pretty sure that dangerous driving is whats known as a summary offence , just because it’s covered by the road traffic act doesn’t mean it’s like a speeding fine
Of course cops do need a license to drive Garda cars it’s ludicrous to suggest otherwise , sounds like a taxi drivers tale to me .
why was my comment removed
The drink driving charge suddenly gets no mention!! What deal was struck to remove that from the charge sheet? It stinks of Guards looking after their own again!! A man in his position should be locked up for what he did
Ronan B sounds like he works
For the Garda ombudsman – seems to
Know insights to the case ! !
Multitalentless – I think you will find that section 53 of the road traffic act( dangerous driving € is an indictable offence . Penalty of 5 years or more and can be tried in circuit court also , if DPP directs .
It seems the journal.ie have removed my previous comment(?) without giving me any opportunity to argue my case.
I do not work for the Ombudsman. All the information I relayed was discussed at the trial and reported in national papers at the time.
Facts as reported:
1. The defendant spent several hours of the afternoon in the pub drinking with off-duty colleagues while he was on duty. A colleague stated he had 6 pints of lager.
2. He then drove with a colleague in a Garda vehicle where he crashed into another vehicle.
3. A retired Garda who came upon the scene and assisted stated he smelled alcohol off the defendant.
4. The defendant, his passenger and the driver of the car crashed into, Gareth Wooster, were taken to hospital.
5. Both the defendant and his passenger/colleague were taken to hospital by ambulance, the ambulance driver noting it was clear the defendant had drink taken. They refused treatment and left without being breathalysed (why this was allowed, and whether any civilian can refuse treatment and leave is not clear).
6. Gareth Wooster was breathalysed in the hospital. Needless to say he passed.
7. After it was learned the defendant had refused treatment a Garda and Ombudsman representative called to his house, where there was no answer. Many hours later they got to speak to him, however it was too late by then to administer the test.
All of the above can be found in the Irish Times article of Feb 2 2012:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0202/1224311113564.html
Compared to the TD that drove down the wrong way on the Nass road it was reasonable. Did the TD go to jail? Or was he ruined for life – I doubt it.
Rowing back now Ronan – guilty conscience ?
U fail to mention the piece that , he wasnt at home due to the fact he went to another private hospital to avoid the 12 hour wait that he was informed of !
You also fail to add that he signed a disclaimer with the ambulance
Crew , as any person can do , and left to go to that private hospital .
Very selective , one sided article that you write ! ! A bit like the freelance journalist , Tom tuite who covered the story for all papers !
The comment about tax paying Garda is not relevant as who gives the their wages? All pubic/civil service have their wages paid for by taxpayers in the private sector – this enables them to pay their tax.
Really!!! Didn’t know that Frank.
I’m quite sure public service workers also pay tax, therefore helping to pay their own wages Frank! This is not a public / private debate!
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