Courts

Peace commissioner charged with creating and signing false search warrants for Garda operations

Former Labour Party cllr Steven Wrenn (50) granted bail after appearing before Dublin District Court

If the accused contests the charges, the case will go to the Circuit Court which has wider sentencing powers. Photograph: The Irish Times

Tom Tuite
Wed Mar 20 2024 - 15:58

A peace commissioner and former Labour Party councillor has been charged with perverting the course of justice and forgery by creating and signing false search warrants for Garda operations in Dublin.

The Garda Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has been investigating the activities of a particular unit based in the Dublin region.

Two serving gardaí have already appeared before the court.

On Wednesday morning Steven Wrenn (50), appeared before Judge Fiona Brennan at Dublin District Court charged with four offences over search warrants allegedly drafted after two properties were searched in 2021.

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

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

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

ACU Det Garda Simon Warnock told the judge the accused “made no reply” when charged on March 12th at Clontarf Garda station.

He confirmed directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions have been received for summary disposal in the District Court if the accused pleads guilty.

This means that if Mr Wrenn contests the charges, the case will go to the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

The accused stood silently throughout the brief hearing.

The judge noted there was no objection to bail and the ACU detective did not require conditions.

She ordered Mr Wrenn to appear again on May 7th and acceded to a request from the defendant’s solicitor to make an order for the disclosure of 17 items of evidence.

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