A TALENTED athlete who is attending Yale University and a former classmate who allegedly switched identities to sit each other’s Leaving Cert physics papers have had their case forwarded for trial.

Conor Dooney, who is a Yale student but also has an address at Northumberland Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, and Stephen Boucher, of Old Bray Road, Foxrock, have been charged with forgery.

The incident is alleged to have taken place on June 16th, 2008, at the Christian Brothers College in Monkstown, Co Dublin, at which time the men were aged 18.

The former classmates, who are both now 21, appeared before a sitting of Dún Laoghaire District Court yesterday where a book of evidence was served to both defendants by Garda Sgt Peadar McCann.

Judge Clare Leonard then sent the case forward for trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Both men were remanded on bail. Mr Dooney paid his own bond of €100 while an independent surety of €3,000 was paid on his behalf by his father Roy. Meanwhile, Mr Boucher paid an €800 bond on his own behalf.

The judge advised both men that if they wished to rely on alibis as part of their defence they must notify the State within a period of 14 days.

In January the District Court had refused jurisdiction to deal with the case after hearing an outline of the prosecution evidence.

Sgt McCann had told the court it was alleged that Mr Boucher and Mr Dooney swapped identities and sat each other’s higher level physics exams during the Leaving Certificate in June 2008.

Sgt McCann had said Mr Dooney, a middle distance runner, had already been accepted into Yale University in the United States on an athletics scholarship. Sgt McCann had alleged the exam result was not important to him, but was to Mr Boucher.

The Department of Education asked gardaí to investigate the alleged incident. A file was then sent to the DPP, who directed the pair be charged with forgery.