GSOC probe forces court to delay sentencing of ex-Rihanna security chief accused of harassing garda
Sentencing of pop singer Rihanna's former security chief for harassing a garda with threatening text messages has been postponed pending a Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) investigation into his arrest.
Geoffrey Keating, aged 39, sent messages to the garda sergeant using the Viber app after being given his private phone number. Keating of Woodbank Drive, Finglas, pleaded guilty earlier to one count of harassing Garda Sergeant Brendan Carey from the accused's home address on August 21 last year.
He appeared again at Dublin District Court for sentencing today and a positive probation report was furnished to Judge Kathryn Hutton.
Defence solicitor Miska Hanahoe asked for sentencing to be adjourned. She explained that Mr Keating made a complaint to GSOC in relation to his arrest and their investigation was at its conclusion. He was seeking the adjournment to see if GSOC will take further action, the solicitor said.
The judge held that it was “in the interests of justice” to defer sentencing until a date in January pending the outcome of the GSOC investigation.
State solicitor Jonathan Antoniotti told the court that Detective Sergeant Gavin Ross, who investigated the harassment case, would like to address the court. The State solicitor said there had been a number of complaints made by the accused and the case should be finalised.
Det. Sergeant Ross told the court the offence happened on August 21 last year. A file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions and directions were received on October 9 last year. On November 20, 2016, Mr Keating appeared on the charge at Blanchardstown District Court and he appeared there again on a number of occasions.
Keating required a hearing date, meaning he was then contesting the charge. The case then moved into Dublin District Court in the Criminal Courts of Justice building in the city centre.
He was due to face his trial there on September 5 last and on that date 27 garda witnesses included an inspector who had to come from Templemore and a number of sergeants who were in charge of stations. However, Mr Keating did not appear and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Det. Sergeant Ross said that warrant was executed on September 19 last and the case was put back to October 10 when he pleaded guilty.
It was adjourned for a week and a probation report was ordered and it was put back until today for sentencing, Det. Sergeant Ross said.
He said a number of complaints had been made to GSOC by the accused about him “without any founding”. “He was saying it was something to do with the arrest, I don’t know if he is trying to change his plea or what,” he said.
Keating told the court he had received an email on Monday from GSOC saying the file would be sent to a chief superintendent.
“I am still wearing a brace on my leg because of that man,” he said, referring to the detective who then told the judge that he took “serious exception” at what Keating alleged.
Judge Hutton said she was adjourning the case to see if his GSOC complaint will proceed.
The prosecution argued that it had no bearing on the case before the court, however, the judge held that it was in the interest of justice to grant the adjournment because of the GSOC complaint.
At an earlier hearing, Keating, who worked for Rihanna in 2012 and 2013, said he had been on medication at the time of the harassment incident, but accepted there was no excuse. The details of the messages were not read out in court, but were shown to the judge.
The court heard that Garda Sergeant Carey received several Viber messages on his mobile phone and Keating was identified as the sender following a garda investigation. His home was searched and his mobile phone was seized.
