Disbelief at not guilty verdict in Garda McCallion case

Jamie McGrenaghan was found not guilty of manslaughter at last Friday’s sitting of Letterkenny District Court

Disbelief at ‘not guilty’ verdict in Garda McCallion manslaughter case


Anton McNulty

THE not guilty verdict delivered by a Donegal jury in the Garda Robbie McCallion manslaughter trial was met with shock and anger in many parts of Mayo with many people saying it was the wrong decision.
In the aftermath of the not-guilty verdict last Friday, a Facebook page was established called ‘Justice for Garda McCallion’ and already over 3,000 people have joined the page. The verdict has also been the subject of many online forums with many questioning the decision of the jury.
One person wrote on the Facebook page, “I was disgusted to hear that the man responsible for Garda McCallion’s death was found not guilty of manslaughter. Seriously, what was that jury thinking. The justice system has let down Garda McCallion’s family”, while another wrote “Its sad how the justice system in this country lets the people down.”
Swinford native, Garda Robbie McCallion died in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin on April 7, 2009 a few days after he was struck by a car while on duty in Letterkenny. The driver of the car, Jamie McGrenaghan (19) from Kerrykeel, Co Donegal was charged with his manslaughter but after a three day trial, the jury took two hours to find him not guilty.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of 29-year-old Garda McCallion and also stealing a car. Following the not guilty verdict, Mr McGrenaghan pleaded guilty to his involvement in a number of burglaries between February 26 and 27.
Members of Garda McCallion’s family, which included his father Bob, mother Nancy, sisters Noirín and Deirdre and his girlfriend Marie O’Donnell, were in the Letterkenny Court House to hear the verdict and were clearly upset with the outcome.
Before the jury were sent out to consider their verdict, Judge John O’Hagan had warned them that while it was tragic, they should not be carried away by the fact that the victim was a garda. He told them that in coming to a verdict they should be sure it was the right thing to do.
“You cannot say later that ‘Oh my God what have I done’. There is tragedy on both sides and nobody can mend that. But you are asked to ask yourself if there was a high degree of negligence that led to manslaughter. Don’t be carried away by the fact that he was a garda. You must look at it in a cold and a calculated manner,” he said.
The trial had heard how Garda McCallion was struck by the car driven by the accused in the early hours of March 26, 2009 after he and another man had stolen a car in Letterkenny. In his defence Mr McGrenaghan’s legal counsel claimed that he panicked on the night and was merely trying to escape.
The court heard how the accused and another man Cathal Dunleavy went to see a car which was for sale but while they were there they spotted another car, a white Toyota Corolla which Dunleavy decided to steal. They returned at 4am and took the Corolla and tried to leave the estate but were blocked by gardaí.
McGrenaghan, who was behind the Corolla in his own car, immediately reversed back up the road and began revving his engine. He then drove at the patrol car but veered to the left hitting the patrol car, the Corolla and sent Garda McCallion through the air and into a nearby garden. He tried to run away but was caught by Garda Shane Lavelle.
He will be sentenced on Friday next, February 11.