Four gardaí face charges of assault and imprisonment

FOUR gardaí were summonsed over the weekend to appear in court next month to face charges of assault and false imprisonment.

The case relates to an incident in a Dublin flats complex in February 2008 in which a man alleges a group of gardaí beat and falsely imprisoned him.

The man complained to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) and four members of garda rank were suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. It was the first major case opened by the commission involving the suspension of gardaí.

It emerged yesterday that the four gardaí were served with summons at the weekend to appear in Dublin district court on May 14 to face charges of assault causing harm and false imprisonment.

Not all gardaí are facing the same charges.

The alleged incident took place at the Basin Street complex in Dublin’s south inner city on Sunday, February 17 last.

It is understood that family members of the complainant were in the flat at the time. The gardaí at the centre of the case and the complainant and some of his family members have been interviewed.

Based on the results of the investigation, GSOC submitted a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Discussions have taken place between GSOC and the DPP’s office in relation to the case since and last weekend a decision was made to proceed with a prosecution.

The four gardaí are based in the Garda Dublin south central division.