A DUBLIN GARDA has been charged with perverting the course of justice and unlawfully disclosing confidential information about the death of a person to a third party.

The officer, in his 30s, appeared at Dublin District Court, where Judge Treasa Kelly acceded to a request from defence solicitor Padraig O’Donovan to impose reporting restrictions on his client’s identity and address being published.

He faces 11 charges and has yet to enter a plea.

It is alleged that on November 8, 2018 and December 2, 2021, at an unknown location within the state, he, a serving member of An Garda Siochana, disclosed confidential information to a co-accused from the Garda Siochana Pulse computer system relating to the investigation into the sudden death of a named female, which occurred in Bray, Co Wicklow.

It is alleged that he obtained it in the course of carrying out his duties, knowing that the disclosure of the information was likely to have a harmful effect.

The allegation is contrary to Section 62(1) and (2) of the Garda Siochana Act 2005.

The following charge, contrary to common law, states that on dates between November 29, 2018 and January 3, 2019, with the intent to pervert the course of public justice, he deliberately interfered with a Garda Investigation and provided false details to the investigating officer, and as a result, perverted the prosecution of a male accused of a road traffic offence.

There are eight counts under section 145 (1) (a) and (b) of the Data Protection Act, accusing him of obtaining personal data relating to another without authorisation and disclosing it to another person.

Mr O’Donovan asked the court to impose reporting restrictions, telling the court his client had been the subject of threats from a gang member.

Garda Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Sergeant Garda Paul Dowling said that was news to him.

However, the judge agreed to impose the restrictions until the next date. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed trial on indictment in the Circuit Court.

Legal aid was granted.

He will appear again in December to be served with a book of evidence. A second man is also before the courts on connected charges.