Second garda accused of false imprisonment of woman, burglary and perverting the course of justice

Garda Colum Ryan faces five charges for alleged offences in 2021. Picture: Collins Courts

A second garda has appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice, burglary and false imprisonment of a woman following an anti-corruption investigation.

Colum Ryan, 35, with a Co Meath address, appeared at Dublin District Court on Friday and faces five charges for alleged offences in 2021.

The officer is accused of creating and printing a search warrant and information on September 30 to pervert the course of public justice after a search on September 7 at a basement flat at Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1.

It is also alleged that between September 30 and December 8, he procured the signatures of peace commissioner Steven Wrenn and another named man on the warrant.

He is also charged with burglary of a basement flat on September 7, and on the same date that he detained a woman against her will at St John's Road West, Dublin 8.

Garda Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Sergeant Garda Kieran Kilcoyne told Judge William Aylmer that the accused was arrested on March 11 at Irishtown station and "made no reply" when charged. He added that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed trial on indictment in the Circuit Court.

The defendant, who was not in uniform, did not address the court or indicate a plea. His solicitor, Elizabeth Hughes, said there was consent to an adjournment until May 25 for the State to prepare a book of evidence. There was no objection to bail.

Co-defendants

Two other gardaí and a peace commissioner have also appeared on related charges in court over the last two weeks. On Wednesday morning, peace commissioner Steven Wrenn, 50, was in court charged with forging warrants to search two properties.

Mr Wrenn, of Iveragh Road, Whitehall, Dublin, was granted €200 bail and ordered to appear again on May 7 to enter a plea.

The former Labour Party councillor is accused of making a false instrument, a search warrant and information between September 30 and December 29, 2021, used to induce another person to accept it as genuine for a search carried out on September 7, 2021, of a basement flat at Mountjoy Square, Dublin.

He is also accused of making another false instrument between August 28 and December 20, 2021, a warrant for a search on June 19 at Kenilworth Road, Dublin 6.

It is also alleged that over the same two time periods, he twice perverted the course of public justice by signing the warrants. The DPP directed summary disposal in the District Court if Mr Wrenn pleaded guilty. Otherwise, his case will go to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.

On Tuesday, arising out of the same investigation, Garda Sergeant Ciaran Whelan, who had worked out of Store Street station in Dublin, appeared in court charged with seven offences from June 19 until September 27, 2021.

Garda Sergeant Whelan, who has an address in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, is accused of false imprisonment of the same woman at St John's Road West, Dublin 8, on September 7.

It is alleged he did acts to pervert the course of public justice by making a false report between August 25 and September 15 to a named Garda Superintendent regarding a search of a male's flat on Kenilworth Road, Dublin 6, on June 19. He is charged with burglary at that flat by entering it as a trespasser to commit a theft offence.

He is also accused of perverting the course of justice on September 27 by amending data on the Garda Pulse System about two incidents.

He is accused of twice perverting the course of public justice on August 28 by allegedly creating and printing a warrant and information for a search on June 19 at the flat in Kenilworth Road, Dublin, 6. 

It is further alleged that he created an incident related to that search on the Garda Pulse system on August 28. He is charged that on September 7, he trespassed at a basement flat at Mountjoy Square, North, Dublin 1, to commit theft.

Garda Mark Duffy, 39, also appeared at Dublin District Court last week. He is accused of doing an act between August 28 and December 20, 2021, intending to pervert the course of public justice.

The officer with a Dublin 15 address is also accused of burglary. In this offence, he is alleged to have entered the same Kenilworth Road flat as a trespasser on June 19, 2021, to commit an arrestable offence.

Both garda co-defendants, who have yet to indicate pleas, are due to appear again on May 17 to be served with books of evidence. The DPP also directed "trial on indictment" in their cases.