A District Court judge claimed she was not guilty today when she was charged by fraud squad detectives with false accounting and theft.
Judge Heather Perrin (60) was appointed to the Dublin District Court bench in February 2009 after practising as a solicitor for 26 years.
Before she was made a judge, she ran a law firm at Fairview Strand, in Dublin 3.
This afternoon, Judge Perrin, who has an address at Lambay Court, Malahide, Dublin, was arrested by detectives from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.
She was brought before Judge Denis McLoughlin at Dublin District Court and faced two charges under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act.
The first charge states she allegedly stole €4,416 from Gareth Gilroy, between May 1st, 2006 and July 31st 2007.
The second charge alleges that between May 25th, 2004 until February 2nd, 2009, at a location in Dublin, she dishonestly - to make a gain for herself and to cause a loss to another - made use of an account or document which to her knowledge was or could have been misleading, false or deceptive.
Det-Sergeant Patrick Linehan told presiding Judge McLoughlin that in reply to the first charge the defendant said: “I am definitely not guilty.”
In response to the second charge, she told Det Sgt Linehan: “I am not guilty.”
The DPP has directed trial on indictment on both charges. A book of evidence was then served on the defendant who was represented by solicitor Cahir O’Higgins.
Judge McLoughlin then made an order sending her forward for trial at the next term of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which begins in mid-April. Bail was granted in her own bond of €1,000.