Two men who allegedly impersonated gardaí before one of them assaulted a man in Castleknock, Dublin, have been charged and will appear in court next month.
Just before 11am on Sunday a man in his early 30s was stopped by a car at Luttrelstown Way, Castleknock, Dublin 15, said gardaí. The car had red and blue flashing lights in the windscreen and the two male occupants claimed they were gardaí.
They began asking the man questions about his identity and where he was going. But the man became suspicious and asked them for identification. The men claiming to be gardaí responded by driving away. However they drove back when they noticed the victim recording details of their car registration.
One of them got out and assaulted the man before returning to the car which then took off at speed in the direction of Carpenterstown.
Local gardaí were alerted and began an investigation which led to a fake Garda car being located at Mulberry Park, Castleknock.
File to be sent to DPP
The car was seized for technical examination. The following day the two alleged occupants, aged in their late teens and early twenties, were arrested and taken to Blanchardstown Garda station for questioning.
The younger man was later charged by gardaí with assault under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and bailed to appear before Dublin District Court on May 5th.
The older man has been charged with several offences under the Road Traffic Act and will appear before Blanchardstown District Court on May 12th.
"A full investigation file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions, " said a Garda spokesman.
