A garda has been served with a court summons on charges in relation to a horror road smash in which three burglars died.
Dean Maguire, 29, Karl Freeman, 26, and Graham Taylor, 31, died after they drove the wrong way down the N7 while fleeing gardai officers in pursuit. They collided in a head-on crash with a truck between Citywest and Baldonnel on July 7, 2021.
This website has learned that a serving garda, who was allegedly involved in the incident been charged with endangerment and dangerous driving. News of the garda member’s potential prosecution last month sparked outrage within An Garda Siochana.
It is understood the officer, who is still serving in the force, met members of the Garda Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) yesterday - which formally served him the court summons. Gardai and GSOC both declined to comment when contacted by this website.
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The development came as it is understood the ongoing inquest into the men’s deaths is set to continue before the Coroners Court today. Tallaght burglars Maguire, Freeman and Taylor – were killed instantly when their BMW vehicle burst into flames.
The move to prosecute the garda has been met with widespread criticism within An Garda Siochana. Antoinette Cunningham, General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) previously said: “Once again we have a situation whereby a Garda is subject to a protracted GSOC process to only find out in a public domain that he is to face charges. The personal impact is grave and the professional impact damaging.
“This cannot continue. It is no way best practice and most certainly will have a negative consequence on ongoing Garda recruitment. On a basic human rights level any person is entitled to be made fully aware of any criminal charges being proffered against them without it being aired first in a public forum. She added: “That this matter happened in that way is simply wrong and unacceptable.”
Last month a designated officer with Gsoc, Sean Campbell, applied for an adjournment of the inquest based on the new development in the case. However, solicitor for Mr Taylor’s family, James MacGuill, at the time, said: “It is scandalous treatment by Gsoc of bereaved families who have been waiting two years for answers.”
He claimed Gsoc should be required to provide a legal justification as to why the men’s relatives should have another two weeks of “legal uncertainty” imposed on them. Solicitor for Mr Maguire’s family, Michael Finucane, claimed there would be no prejudice to the garda by just informing the men’s relatives of the charge which the garda would be facing.
Mr Freeman’s father, Jason Freeman, addressed the court to express concern the families would read about the charge in the newspapers. Addressing the deceased’s relatives who attended the hearing, the coroner Dr Keane acknowledged the issue was “very upsetting” for them.
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