INSURANCE claims filed against the employers of a bus driver who went on "an odyssey of destruction" in west Dublin smashing into multiple vehicles are believed to have amounted to as much as €1.7m.

Last week former policeman Peter Clarke (38) was deemed to be insane and cleared of 28 charges relating to his rampage in the Bluebell area in May 2006 which led to the death of 62-year-old mother Marie Buckley.

Sources close to the investigation told the Sunday Tribune that a number of fraudulent claims were initially made against Dualways Bus Company, the owners of the coach. When these were later traced it turned out the vehicles at the centre of the claims were not in the area at the time and some had in fact been in other parts of the country.

However, while some false claims were made at an early stage, it is understood that none of those finally processed by insurers were fraudulent.

"A number of letters came in from people claiming their cars were damaged but they were investigated and there was no truth in it," according to one source.

"There were a number of claims but it was shown that they were nowhere near the place at the time and they were traced to places like Cork and Galway."

Clarke, of Kiltalown Court in Tallaght, careered into around 25 vehicles, including garda cars, in his 53 seat bus causing extensive damage.

At his trial last week the prosecution described the events as "an odyssey of destruction."

Clarke admitted that his actions led to the death of Mrs Buckley. She was trapped in her car which became lodged on the front of the bus and dragged for several hundred metres.

On the day of the incident Clarke took a bus from his employers and was spotted by his boss driving it around Heuston Station at midday.

He then drove directly at his boss when he tried to persuade him to return the vehicle and from then his rampage on the Naas Road began.

As gardai were alerted to the situation, squad cars from all over Dublin began to give chase with civilians fleeing their cars in a bid to avoid injury.

Even when he was finally cornered, Clarke threatened gardaí with a knife and an axe.

Last Monday Clarke was cleared of all charges – including manslaughter through dangerous driving, criminal damage and reckless endangerment – by reason of insanity.

His defence counsel Hugh Hartnett SC said the jury should return the not-guilty verdict and the court was satisfied there was no fabrication of a mental disorder.