Updated: 5.15pm
Three-time All-Ireland winning Limerick hurler Pat Ryan has appealed a jail sentence imposed on him on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to committing perjury during judicial proceedings in which he was accused of speeding.
At Limerick District Court, Judge Patricia Harney said Ryan (27), from Doon, Co Limerick, had told a “brazen lie” when he previously gave evidence before the court on October 21st, 2020.
At that hearing Ryan said he had not received a fixed charge penalty notice after a garda had allegedly detected him speeding in 2018.
Judge Harney heard that some time after the hearing in 2020, gardaí discovered Ryan had sent an image of the speeding notice from his mobile phone to a “third party”.
After hearing an outline of the case by gardaí, Judge Harney told Ryan: “This is serous stuff. You’re not getting away with it.”
Garda Darren John Swan, of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI), told Tuesday’s hearing that he arrested Ryan at 9.26am at Mayorstone Garda station, Limerick.
Garda Swan added Ryan did not reply when charged at 9.44am.
Perjury
Outlining the facts of the case, Gda Swan said Mr Ryan had appeared before the court on October 21st, 2020, accused of speeding.
Garda Swan said Mr Ryan had given “sworn evidence” during the 2020 hearing that he had not received notification of the alleged speeding offence.
Garda Swan said it was later “discovered” that Mr Ryan had “forwarded” an image of the speeding notice from his mobile phone to a “third party” who was not identified in court.
“This contradicted Mr Ryan’s sworn evidence,” Gda Swan said.
The GNBCI officer said Ryan was arrested on March 10th, 2021, on suspicion of committing perjury during the 2020 court hearing.
Garda Swan told Judge Harney that the Director of Public Prosecutions “recommended it be dealt with by summary disposal” before the District Court.
Garda Swan said Mr Ryan had one previous conviction, on June 27th, 2022, for “holding a mobile phone whilst driving”.
Ryan’s defence solicitor Con Barry said the accused had “put his hands up” and had “fully cooperated” with the GNBCI, to which the judge replied: “It’s the least he (Mr Ryan) could do.”
He expected not to get caught, and now he is in serious trouble
“He got caught. He expected not to get caught, and now he is in serious trouble, he is facing a jail sentence,” the judge said.
Mr Barry pleaded for leniency, to which the judge retorted: “Talk to me about truth, about veracity...This goes to the core of the entire administration of justice.”
“He told a brazen lie in the face of this court. The whole criminal justice system is based on truth given to the courts. You’re client is facing very, very serious trouble,” the judge told Mr Barry.
Gardaí told the court that the maximum sentence which could be imposed was six months in prison and/or a fine of up to €5,000.
Appealing to the judge not to jail Ryan, Mr Barry said: “This will affect him throughout his life, his ability to travel, it will have a tremendous effect on him for years.”
However, Judge Harney said she was “not satisfied that a fine was the way to deal with it”.
Imposing a two-week jail sentence on Ryan, she said the “brazen nature” of his evidence in 2020 “cuts to the heart of the criminal justice system”.
Ryan, who sat in the defendant’s dock, dressed in a blue anorak, black polo shirt, green tracksuit pants and runners, looked visibly shaken after the custodial sentence was handed down.
Mr Barry immediately appealed the sentence and Judge Harney fixed recognisances, remanding Ryan on bail, on his own bond of €100, which did not have to be lodged.
“If another court takes a different view, so be it, but it is far too serious,” Judge Harney said.
No date was given for his appeal.
