Three gardaí to face trial for perverting course of justice and burglary
Ciaran Whelan, 51, with an address at Nenagh, Co Tipperary, is charged with burglary of a flat at Kenilworth Road, D6, on June 19 and perverting the course of justice. File picture
Three Dublin-based gardaí have been sent forward for trial accused of perverting the course of justice and burglary.
One of the officers faces an additional offence for false imprisonment of a woman following an investigation by the Garda Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) into the alleged activities in 2021 of a unit in the Dublin region.
Robert Gorman, 43, who has a north Dublin address, is charged with trespassing with intent to commit a theft offence on September 7, 2021, at a basement flat at Mountjoy Square North in Dublin.
He is also accused of two counts of perverting the course of public justice by later signing information for the search warrant and by creating three incidents on the Garda Pulse computer system.
The warrant signing and Pulse computer incidents allegedly happened between September 30 and December 30, and on September 21, 2021.
Garda Mark Duffy, 39, from Dublin 15, and Garda Sergeant Ciaran Whelan, 51, who resides in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, were charged with burglary of a flat at Kenilworth Road, D6, on June 19 and perverting the course of justice.
Sergeant Whelan was further accused of false imprisonment of a female at Saint John's Road West, Dublin 8, on September 7, 2021, and another alleged burglary of a flat at Mountjoy on the same date.
The officers, suspended from duty, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Friday when ACU detectives served them with books of evidence.
The Director of Public Prosecutions directed they must face trial on indictment.
Judge Kelly acceded to a request from State solicitor Ruairi Staines to grant a return-for-trial order, sending them forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where their cases will be listed for mention on June 13.
The three officers, whose cases were called separately, did not address the court and have yet to indicate pleas.
Judge Kelly agreed to grant them legal aid, including senior counsel representation, due to the seriousness of the case, which she noted was "a matter of some complexity".
The three were warned to notify the prosecution within 14 days if they had intended to adduce alibi evidence in their trial. The judge directed the prosecution to furnish interview videos to the defence, and she remanded them on bail.
Co-defendant Garda Colum Ryan, who has a Co Meath address, was also charged earlier with burglary and false imprisonment and will appear in court later this month.
A peace commissioner and former Labour Party councillor has also been charged with perverting the course of justice and forgery.
Steven Wrenn, 50, of Iveragh Road, Whitehall, Dublin, is accused of signing two false search warrants for flats at Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1 and Kenilworth Road, in 2021.
He has indicated a not-guilty plea and is due back in court in June to be served with a book of evidence and for a trial order.
