Former Government press secretary and lobbyist Frank Dunlop has suffered enough through his admitted involvement in corruption and should not be jailed, his lawyers have told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A cardiologist told the court that Mr Dunlop suffers from a serious heart condition, while his former barrister emphasised Mr Dunlop’s willingness to co-operate with the Planning tribunal after his dramatic admission of involvement in corruption before the inquiry in 2000.
Judge Frank O’Donnell, after hearing the pleas of mitigation made by Mr Dunlop’s legal team, put back sentencing to May 26th. He remains on continuing bail until then.
Aidan Redmond, barrister, for Mr Dunlop, said his client had paid an enormous price for his involvement in planning corruption. Urging the judge not to impose a custodial sentence, he said: “He has been punished beyond all manner of means and will continue to be so”.
He contrasted Mr Dunlop’s approach to that of the politicians he alleges he bribed. While Mr Dunlop knew the “the day would come” when he would end up in court, “the people who have run and hid adopted the bizarre approach of saying ‘you didn’t do anything wrong’.”
Mr Dunlop remained alone before the court while the politicians continued with their denials, counsel said.
Det Garda Martin Harrington of the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) told the court that Mr Dunlop had been of great assistance to Cab’s inquiries into planning corruption.
The only admission of wrongdoing had come from Mr Dunlop himself; the politicians involved had either denied the payments or said they were political donations.
Consultant cardiologist Prof Declan Sugrue said Mr Dunlop suffered from complex premature coronary disease. His three main arteries had blockages and a stent had been inserted. Mr Sugrue said he believed the emotional stress associated with the legal matters faced by his patient had an important bearing on the development of his heart condition.
Colm Allen SC, who represented Mr Dunlop during his early appearances at the tribunal, said he was incandescent with rage when he discovered that his client had misled his legal team about a secret bank account used for planning payments.
However, since that day in April 2000 when tribunal chairman Mr Justice Feargus Flood told him to reflect on his evidence, Mr Dunlop had given his total and full cooperation to the inquiry.
After this day, Mr Allen continued, his client disintegrated mentally and physically and was now enduring a “life sentence” as a social pariah.
The 62-year-old was originally charged with 16 counts of bribing Dublin county councillors and pleaded last January to five sample counts of corruption.
He admits handing over money to politicians at different locations in Dublin, including Buswell's and Davenport hotels, both a short walk from the Dáil, and St John of God's Hospital.
Mr Dunlop has pleaded guilty to giving £3,000 (€3,800) to former Fianna Fáil senator Don Lydon at St John of God's Hospital in Dublin; £2,000 to Fianna Fáil councillor Colm McGrath and £1,000 to Fianna Fáil councillor Seán Gilbride, all in 1992, in relation to the rezoning of lands at Carrickmines for development.
He also pleaded guilty to giving a sum of money to former Fine Gael senator Liam Cosgrave at Buswells Hotel in Dublin on December 23rd, 1997, and a further sum of money to Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fox at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin between October 30th and December 25th 1997, also in relation to the Carrickmines lands.
