A court has heard that a man intentionally “rammed” the gates of Áras an Uachtaráin with his automobile, causing damages over €10,000, reports Breaking News.
Following the incident at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Ronan Dunne, 58, of Griffin Rath Hall, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, was charged with criminal damage and placed under €6,000 bail.
He showed up before Dublin District Court on Friday, when the court heard that he did not respond to the charges.
Police A 2013-registered Hyundai sedan was observed approaching by Emma Gilmore’s coworker who was on duty at Phoenix Gate Lodge. She opposed to bail, informing Judge Paula Murphy that the CCTV footage showed the car reversing into the Phoenix Gates.
She calculated that the damage was more than €10,000, reports Breaking News.
The garda witness told the court that she took the automobile keys from the car, which had a piece of cardboard next to the windscreen.
The words “criminal organisation controlling my family; call the Criminal Assets Bureau or gardaí” were inscribed beside a string of letters and numbers.
The court heard that CCTV footage of the whole incident was taken. After being arrested, it was said that the accused admitted that he “deliberately drove into the gates of Áras an Uachtaráin to get help for his family”. He honestly thought, and insisted to gardaí, that his family was under the thumb of a criminal group, reports Breaking News.
The official emphasised, nevertheless, that gardaí were confident the family had no criminal ties.
The judge was informed that he had no past convictions, but the garda anticipated that he would be put on trial in the Circuit Court upon indictment. Gardai must still get instructions from the DPP, though, reports Breaking News.
Paul Byrne, a defence attorney, stated that his client’s statement to the gardaí indicated his mental state, and the garda acknowledged it was a medical matter. According to Garda Gilmore, “Yes, there were several notes in the car.”
According to Mr. Byrne, his client got along well in his present residence, where he had lived for almost eight years. In the public gallery were three more members of his family, reports Breaking News.
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