Three serving Gardaí have appeared in court charged in connection with an investigation surrounding the alleged squaring away of Fixed Charge Notices.

The probe is being led by detectives attached to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) in Dublin.

The three accused - Garda Peter O’Donnell, (51), Garda Paul Baynham, (35), and Garda Niall Deegan (49), all serving in the Limerick Garda Division - were arrested and cautioned at Mayorstone Garda station last Tuesday and remanded on station bail to appear before the District Court today.

The three accused sat alone in the dock in courtroom number six as each of their cases were called during the late lunchtime sitting.

They were charged with a total of 33 counts that, while serving as a member of An Garda Síochána, they did communicate with other Gardaí in a manner which had a tendency or was intended to pervert the course of justice on dates between 2017 and 2019.

Garda O’Donnell is accused of 14 separate counts, Garda Baynham faces 10 counts and Garda Deegan is charged with nine counts.

Detective Inspector Mark Waters of the GNBCI gave evidence in court that he arrested and charged each of the three accused Gardaí, and that each accused “made no reply” to the charges.

Detective Insp Waters told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed that all three accused Gardaí face a trial on indictment at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.

None of the three accused spoke during today’s hearing and details of their cases were not heard.

Judge Patricia Harney remanded the three accused on continuing bail to appear in court again on October 24th.

Reporting by: David Raleigh