Friends accused in 'bogus gardai' case get new trial date

Dean Parkes

Andrew Phelan

Two friends accused of impersonating gardai while holding a man captive in a car for a bogus drugs search have had a date set for the continuation of their trial.

The hearing of the case against Dean Parkes (23) and Corrie Grimes (20) will resume in November.

The case had been heard in part at Dublin District Court but was postponed and bench warrants issued for their arrest when the accused failed to return to court mid-trial.

They were prosecuted after a video allegedly of them pretending to be gardai appeared on a serving officer's Facebook page.

They are each charged with falsely imprisoning Darren Osborne and making a statement or committing an act to suggest they were gardai.

The offences are alleged to have happened at Sheriff Street on December 20, 2015.

Corrie Grimes

Witnesses

Mr Grimes, of Ferryman's Crossing, Seville Place, and Mr Parkes, of Montpelier Park, Infirmary Road, both deny the charges.

When the case came back before Judge Bryan Smyth, a state solicitor said there were still six prosecution witnesses to hear and video footage to be played.

Alan Grace, for Mr Parkes, said it might take a full day to hear the rest of the evidence.

Judge Smyth adjourned the case to November 30.

The court previously heard that it was alleged Mr Parkes filmed the video from the pass-enger seat of the car while Mr Grimes (20) was driving.

According to the prosecution, the pair had picked up Mr Osborne in the north inner city, told him he was under arrest and "interrogated" him before dropping him off on a nearby street.

Mr Parkes allegedly then uploaded the video to his Facebook public profile.

Sgt John Egan said the video appeared on his own Facebook news feed.