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Three gardaí charged with burglary and perverting course of justice sent for trial

The Dublin-based members of the force, one of whom is also charged with falsely imprisoning a woman, had books of evidence served on them today

Today at 16:02

THREE gardaí who were arrested in an anti-corruption probe have been sent for trial charged with burglary and perverting the course of justice.

The Dublin-based members of the force, one of whom is also charged with falsely imprisoning a woman, had books of evidence served on them today.

They were sent forward to the next sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Sergeant Ciaran Whelan (51) and Garda Mark Duffy (39) and Robert Gorman (43) are charged with perverting the course of public justice and burgling flats in Dublin.

Sgt Whelan is further charged with false imprisonment of a woman, with all incidents alleged to have happened in 2021, when the accused were stationed in Store Street in the north inner city.

Today, state solicitor Rory Staines told Judge Treasa Kelly the books of evidence were ready and had been served.

Judge Kelly gave each accused the formal warning that they had 14 days to furnish the prosecution with details of any alibi they intend to rely on. The judge also ordered the prosecution to provide the accused’s garda interview videos to the defence.

She sent each man forward to the next sittings of the circuit court, on June 13.

The three were remanded on bail in their own bonds of €200, with no cash required, and on condition they are of good behaviour.

Judge Kelly granted free legal aid in all cases, to cover both junior and senior counsel at trial.

Making the request, Barrister Vanessa Frawley, for Gda Duffy cited the seriousness of the alleged offences. The other two accused’s barrister, Fiona Pekaar said the case was a “matter of some complexity.”

Sgt Whelan faces seven charges. He is accused of falsely imprisoning a woman at St John’s Road West, Dublin 8, and burglary at a basement flat at Mountjoy Square, both on September 7, 2021.

He is also charged with burglary at another flat, at Kenilworth Road, Dublin 6, on June 19.

He allegedly perverted the course of justice by making a false report between August 25 and September 15 about a June 19 search at that flat, and by amending data on the garda Pulse system on September 27.

He is accused of twice more perverting the course of public justice on August 28, by creating a search warrant and information for the June 19 search, and creating an incident on the Pulse system in relation to that search.

Gda Gorman is charged with three offences – burglary at the same Mountjoy Square flat on September 7 and two counts of perverting the course of justice by later signing information for the search warrant and by creating three incidents on the Pulse system. The warrant signing and Pulse incidents allegedly happened between September 30 and December 30, and on September 21

Gda Duffy faces two charges – burglary at Kenilworth Road on June 19 perverting the course of justice between August 28 and December 20.

The three are due to appear in the circuit court on June 13.

Two other accused are still awaiting service of books of evidence.

Gda Colum Ryan, with an address in Co Meath, is charged with false imprisonment, burglary and perverting the course of justice.

Peace commissioner and former Labour Party councillor Steven Wrenn (50), of Iveragh Road, Whitehall, Dublin has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice and forging search warrants for the flats.

The prosecutions were brought following an investigation by the Garda Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).