A Dublin garda has been charged with perverting the course of justice and unlawfully disclosing confidential information about the death of a person to a third party.
The officer, in his 30s, appeared at Dublin District Court, where Judge Treasa Kelly acceded to a request from defence solicitor Pádraig O’Donovan to impose reporting restrictions on his client’s identity and address being published.
He faces 11 charges and has yet to enter a plea.
It is alleged that on November 8th, 2018, and December 2nd, 2021, at an unknown location within the State, he, a serving member of An Garda Síochána, disclosed confidential information to a co-accused from the Pulse computer system relating to the investigation into the sudden death of a named woman, which occurred in Bray, Co. Wicklow.
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The allegation is contrary to section 62(1) and (2) of the An Garda Síochána Act 2005.
Mr O’Donovan asked the court to impose reporting restrictions, telling the court his client had been the subject of threats from a gang member.
Garda Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Sgt Garda Paul Dowling said that was news to him.
However, the judge agreed to impose the restrictions until the next date. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed trial on indictment in the Circuit Court.
He will appear again in December to be served with a book of evidence.
