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Did The Editor Have His Points Quashed?

4:41 pm September 16, 2013 Chompsky

From top: Protest at INM and journalist Gemma ODoherty, Irish Independent report from April and Stephen Rae, group editor of the Independent titles)

You may recall a post concerning the recent dismissal from the Irish Independent of journalist Gemma ODoherty The Senior Features writer and Travel Editor was usually in receipt of high praise from her editors. But this changed, she says, after she discovered in April that Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan was caught speeding while driving his private car, and his penalty points subsequently quashed. Her then boss Rae reportedly called ODoherty a rogue reporter for calling to Callinans house to confirm details in the story.. The publication was eventually delayed by a week and changed considerably before it went to print. Some weeks after the story managing director Declan Carlyle informed ODoherty that her job was gone. It has since emerged that among a list of high-profile names who have had points quashed is a Stephen Rae, who was reportedly caught speeding in Belfield, Dublin on the morning of November 5, 2009, and whose two points were subsequently terminated by gardai with no reason given. [We have contacted Stephen Rea to clarify if this was indeed him. He has not responded to emails and phone calls.] The cancellation of fixed charge notices,and subsequently penalty points other than for fire brigade drivers, ambulance drivers, on-duty Garda or people driving a car under the direction of a Garda is not provided for in Irish law. Garda have been using an ad-hoc policy of discretion in relation to terminating penalty points which has no statutory basis. Meanwhile, separately, ODoherty was also investigating examples of summonses not being served on high-profile people from political, media, sports and legal circles when she got fired. On May 9, she wrote how three summonses for three different motoring offences were not served on Westmeath Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy. And she was compiling a story in relation to the case of summonses not being served against two high-profile people in legal circles when she was dismissed by INM. (Photocall Ireland)
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This entry was posted in Misc and tagged Gemma O'Doherty, Irish Independent, Penalty

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ONE THOUGHT ON DID THE EDITOR HAVE HIS POINTS QUASHED?

Joe835 on September 16, 2013 at 4:45 pm said:

This country stinks