IRELAND
Newstalk
A Wicklow detective has been acquitted of forging a letter from the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the investigation of a priest accused of sexual abuse.
Detective Garda Catherine McGowan (48), who is based at Bray Garda Station, had pleaded not guilty to one count of forgery on January 15, 2009 at Bray Garda Station and two counts of using a false instrument at Bray Garda Station and at Harcourt Street Garda Station between June 21 and 22, 2011.
The instrument was alleged to have been a letter from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), dated January 14, 2009.
After a 14 day trial a jury of six men and six women deliberated for just over three hours before returning unanimous verdicts of not guilty on all three counts. Judge Mary Ellen Ring thanked the jury for their service and said it had been a “long and not an easy trial”.
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