Bail has been granted to a woman who is accused of blocking traffic near the Thornton Hall facility in north county Dublin, which is being ready to house applicants for international protection, reports RTE.
Awaiting her appearance before Dublin District Court, Shirley Kidd, 54, of The Avenue, Fox Lodge, Ratoath, Co. Meath, was placed under arrest yesterday.
Judge Cephas Power denied a garda plea to forbid her from attending protests, although he did order her to avoid the location.
In June, the government made public its plans to utilise a section of the land along the Meath-Dublin border to house some 1,000 asylum seekers in makeshift tents, reports RTE.
At the site entrance, there have been demonstrations in response to the plan.
On August 14, 2024, Ms. Kidd was charged by Gardaà with wilful obstruction of the free passage of a vehicle on the R135 route, Coolquay.
She was also charged with two further Public Order Act offences: using derogatory, abusive, or threatening language or actions, and disobeying a garda’s order to leave the area, reports RTE.
The judge was given a paper by Court Garda Sergeant Rachel Goggins that detailed the arrest, charging, and caution procedures.
It was her intention to inform Judge Power that there was no issue with bail as long as he agreed to “stay away from protests” and report to a garda station three times a week.
Conor McGreevy, the defence attorney, requested the judge to make that requirement more specific, but the judge said that it was “too broad and not something I could impose”, reports RTE.
Judge Power then granted Sgt Goggin’s plea to direct Ms. Kidd “to stay away from Thornton Hall” as an alternative. He also informed her that she needed to sign at a garda station three days a week.
The accused, who did not appear in court, informed her attorney that she agreed to the order when the defence requested that she sign on once a week.
On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, she needs to sign and provide the gardaà her phone number so they may get in touch with her, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
