Redmond gets one year in jail
The 79-year-old former Dublin City and County Assistant Manager George Redmond has been jailed for one year by Judge Michael White at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for corruption.
Judge White said Redmond had been convicted on two charges of corruption as a public official and as an agent.
They were separate charges and the court was dealing with them as separate offences but would impose sentence concurrently The court also had to be guided by proportionality as regards the gravity of the offences and the status of the offender.
He said that under the legislation the court was entitled to impose up to seven years imprisonment and wasn’t entitled to look behind the legislation as to why the original sentence of two years was increased to seven in 1916.
Judge White said society expected the highest standard of probity from its public officials and the gravity factor in this case was that at the time Redmond corruptly received a sum of money he was an official of the highest standing.
"The country has been well served by its public officials but he has damaged that reputation."
He said that while Redmond was now elderly and in good health for his age he had some health problems which included having surgery and he had also suffered indignity and humiliation as a result of his offending and conviction.
Judge White noted Redmond had a previous conviction on tax matters and it was shown he had paid scant regard to the revenue laws over many years which didn’t reflect well on him.
Judge White added that he wouldn’t order forfeiture of Redmond’s pension entitlements of almost €53,000 annually and the one year concurrent sentences on each charge would date from November 19, 2003 when he was convicted and went into custody.
Redmond was found guilty on November 19 last by a jury of receiving Ir£10,000 from car salesman Mr Brendan Fassnidge as a bribe relating to the sale of a right-of-way by Dublin County Council at the Lucan bypass. Redmond has been held in custody since his conviction.
The jury returned 10-2 majority guilty verdicts on two charges after spending six hours and 42 minutes on its deliberations. The verdicts were delivered on day-13 of the trial after the jury were sent to a hotel overnight. .
Redmond had denied that while an agent or servant of the Council of the County of Dublin, a public body, he corruptly received £10,000 from Mr Fassnidge on a date between June 1, 1987 and May 31, 1988 as an inducement or reward for doing or forbearing to do anything in respect of the sale of a right of way at Palmerstown, by the Council of the County of Dublin.
He also denied that as an agent he corruptly accepted £10,000 for himself as an inducement or reward for showing favour to Mr Fassnidge, in relation to the said principal’s affairs, namely the sale of the right of way.
Judge White rejected an application by Mr McCarthy for costs of the trial to be awarded to the prosecution against Redmond.
He also refused an application by Mr Grehan for a certificate for leave to appeal against conviction.
Redmond is due to appear again in the court on February 20 next for mention of two other charges agains him.
