Three gardaí face trial for perverting course of justice and burglary,

Updated / Saturday, 18 May 2024 10:14 UP DATED TO JULY 2024

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 7 September 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 30 September and 30 December and on 21 September 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, Dublin 6, on 19 June and perverting the course of justice.

Sergeant Whelan was further accused of false imprisonment of a female at St John’s Road West, Dublin 8, on 7 September 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 today 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 13 June.

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.”