Garda to face Circuit Court trial over fatal N7 crash

Tom Tuite

A garda accused of endangering life during an incident where three men died in a collision in Dublin will face trial in the Circuit Court.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed charges after the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) investigated the fatal crash in which three members of a Tallaght-based gang were killed.

Dean Maguire (29), Karl Freeman (26) and Graham Taylor (31) died when the BMW car in which they were travelling burst into flames following a head-on collision with a truck between Citywest and Baldonnel on July 7th, 2021.

Their vehicle had been driving on the wrong side of the N7 at the time of the incident as they attempted to flee gardaí.

Garda John Francis Ryan, of Tallaght Garda station, is accused of endangerment of life and three counts of dangerous driving.

He was first summonsed to Dublin District Court in June and the matter was adjourned to October, when the court ordered the prosecution to hand over the relevant material, including video footage.

The proceedings were listed again for on Monday, when State solicitor Tom Conlon told Judge Michele Finan that the DPP has directed summary disposal on a guilty plea in the District Court, otherwise the case will proceed to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.

Judge Finan adjourned the matter until June 26th to allow for the preparation of a book of evidence.

The dangerous driving charges relate to an alleged incident on Brookfield Road at the N82 Citywest roundabout and Cheeverstown Road.

The officer is also charged with endangerment, having allegedly driven westwards on the eastwards auxiliary lane of the road between Rathcoole and Citywest in a reckless manner which posed substantial risk of death or serious injury to a member of the public.

At his first hearing on June 28th, the garda's solicitor sought disclosure of prosecution evidence "with any CCTV footage", to which a Gsoc officer said there would be compliance.

A coroner's inquest into the three men's deaths has already been opened but was adjourned pending the outcome of the judicial process.