A Garda is to be prosecuted for dangerous driving after three men were killed in a collision on the N7 in Dublin in 2021.
Dean Maguire, Karl Freeman and Graham Taylor were killed instantly when their vehicle burst into flames following a head-on crash with a truck.
They were being followed by Gardaí at the time and had driven down the wrong side of the M7 carriageway between Citywest and Baldonnel.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, court reporter Seán McCárthaigh said the decision for the Garda to face criminal prosecution “came as a surprise development in the case.”
“It's certainly caused consternation amongst Gardaí and judging from the online reaction to the news, certainly in wider society as well,” he said.
‘The inquest’
Mr McCárthaigh said the inquest has “come up on a regular basis since the wreck two years ago.”
“The families of the three men have been pressing constantly to find out what happened with the investigation by the Garda ombudsman,” he said.
“We found out a few weeks ago that the Gsoc file had been submitted to the DPP last December.
Mr McCárthaigh said the Gsoc official Sean Campbell told the inquest yesterday that a decision had been taken that a criminal prosecution will take place.
“He was very reluctant to specify the nature of the offence because the Guard in question hasn't been formally served with a summons in the case,” he said.
“He did reveal as a result of a lot of questioning by solicitors for the families that it was in relation to the gardens driving on the night.”
N7 Car Deaths Shrine. The floral shrine to the three young men, Dean Maguire, Graham Taylor and Carl Freeman, at the spot where they died when the car they were in, drove the wrong way onto the N7 and crashed into an oncoming truck heading to Dublin and burst into flames killing the three men. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie‘Criminal proceedings’
Mr McCárthaigh said it would be a “natural consequence” that, if criminal proceedings commence, the inquest will be postponed until their conclusion.
“Once the papers have been served to the Garda, they will come back into the court and at this stage, we will be informed of the specific offence,” he said.
“James MacGuill, who represented Mr Taylor's family …. speculated a charge of reckless endangerment or dangerous driving causing death, but we won't know until May 23rd.
“It is hopeful that the specific offence will be made known to everyone.”
