Garda (36) sent for trial on charges of coercive control and assault on his former wife

  5 hrs ago

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A DUBLIN-based garda has been sent for trial accused of coercive control of his wife and multiple counts of assaulting and injuring her.

Mark Doyle (36) had a book of evidence served on him at Dublin District Court. Judge Colm Roberts sent him forward for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The accused is charged with coercive control of his then-wife at an address in Co Kildare between January 1 and December 28, 2019.

The charge alleges that he knowingly and persistently engaged in behaviour that was controlling or coercive and which had a serious effect on a woman who is or was his spouse. The charge is under Section 39 of the Domestic Violence Act.

Gda Doyle is also charged with six counts of assaulting her, causing her harm on dates between 2010 and 2019. He is further charged with assault causing harm to two named males, one on an unknown date in 2008 or 2009, and the other in 2017.

These charges are contrary to the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. The offences are all alleged to have happened at the same address in Co Kildare.

Today, state solicitor Niamh McKernan said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed trial on indictment and was consenting to the accused being returned for trial.

Judge Roberts ordered the prosecution to furnish the defence with copies of the accused’s garda interview video.

He gave Gda Doyle the formal notice that he had 14 days to supply any alibi details to the prosecution. The accused nodded to confirm that he understood this notice.

Gda Doyle was sent forward to the circuit court on March 15, on existing bail conditions.

Defence solicitor Brian Coveney applied for free legal aid, submitting documentation to the court and saying his client was a member of An Garda Síochána. The judge granted legal aid to cover a solicitor and junior counsel at trial but said he would leave it to the circuit court to decide whether to assign a senior counsel.

Previously, Inspector Adrian Kinsella of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau said the accused made no reply to any of the charges after caution.

Under bail terms, Gda Doyle is to have no contact with the alleged injured parties or witnesses.

During the previous hearing, Insp Kinsella said the charges were serious and the accused had been suspended from the gardaí.

The accused had met investigating gardaí by arrangement for interview and to be charged, and had engaged fully with the case, his defence said.