Woman says she was branded 'female gouger' after gardaí discovered her relationship with officer

The non-jury trial continues at the High Court before Mr Justice O'Connell

Sinead Warren at the High Court in Dublin on Thursday. Picture: Collins Courts

A "law-abiding citizen of impeccable character" has alleged at the High Court that she was falsely branded a "major criminal" and a "serious female gouger" after officers discovered she was in a relationship with a garda.

Sinead Warren alleges that following the execution of a search warrant at a Dublin address, messages circulated on Whatsapp that could only have originated from people involved in or close to the search. They suggested that her long-term partner, Garda Joseph Kavanagh, had been "caught in the scratcher" with her.