A 26-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court, charged in connection with a fatal road crash that occurred following a garda pursuit at the start of the summer.

The Dublin man was charged with dangerous driving causing death and serious injury following the incident in Fairview on 29 May.

Sinéad Maguire, from Dublin 3, was killed after the car she was a passenger in collided with a lampost at the junction of the Malahide Road and the Clontarf Road.

The driver was transferred to Beaumont Hospital in a critical condition but has since recovered.

Gardaí were following the car when it crashed into the pole. The vehicle had been spotted reversing away as it approached a garda checkpoint.

A 20-year-old male passenger was also injured in the crash, which is still being investigated by GSOC.

The Ombudsman’s investigation will examine whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of the gardaí ahead of the incident.

It will try to ascertain if there was garda contact that caused the accident.

The garda probe, into possible dangerous driving or other illegal activity, is a separate matter.

Reports at the time indicated that there were disputes between gardaí and its watchdog at the crime scene. GSOC officials said the incident was not formally referred to them until more than five hours after it happened. By that time, the car had been taken away and the lampost made safe.