Two men have appeared in court charged in connection with an incident in Ballyfermot early yesterday morning in which two guards were injured. Stephen Byrne, 35, of Ballyfermot Avenue in Dublin, and Anthony Grogan, 54, of Cherry Orchard Park, Ballyfermot in Dublin, each face three charges under the Public Order Act, reports RTE. The charges include two counts of assaulting a garda and one count of violent disorder. The Dublin District Court heard that both men were charged last night at Ballyfermot Garda station and did not respond after being booked.
According to RTE, the Gardaí told the court that both men were identified and arrested at the scene and said the incident was captured from a variety of angles on CCTV. The Gardaí opposed bail in both cases because of the seriousness of the charges, which if convicted can lead to sentences of up to five and ten years in prison. Judge Paula Murphy said the issues before the court were very serious in nature and anyone convicted of the alleged crimes would face significant prison time, reports the national broadcaster. She said it was a bail borderline case. However, she said the men were entitled to the presumption of innocence and bail. Judge Murphy has remanded Mr Grogan on bail consent on his own bail of €10,000, half of which is to be presented to the court and an independent guarantee of €5,000. If he accepts the deposit, he too must sign in daily at Ballyfermot Garda station and abide by the curfew between 11 p.m and 6 a.m. He must also deliver his passport and be reachable 24 hours a day by mobile phone. His defense attorney told the court that he was married with five children, had strong ties to the area and was not a flight risk. He also applied for free legal assistance, reports RTE. He said his client had limited means and he realistically would not have been able to raise the required bail amount. He was remanded on bail consent to appear again in Cloverhill District Court on November 29. Mr Byrne was remanded with consent to bail on the same terms with his own bail of €6,000, half of which is to be presented to the court, with a separate guarantee of €10,000, half of which which will appear before the court, and the person approved by a judge of the district court. His case returns to Cloverhill District Court tomorrow. His defense attorney said he had three children and although he worked full time, he had limited means and he may not be able to raise the money needed for bail. He also applied for free legal assistance. During the incident, the two Gardaís, a man and a woman, were allegedly attacked while responding to a public order incident outside a pub on Ballyfermot Road. After confronting several people in the street, a Garda was allegedly attacked and thrown to the ground. His colleague, who tried to intervene, was also allegedly attacked and dragged by her hair. The attack was filmed and posted on social media. A woman in her 50s, also arrested, has been released and is due to appear in court at a later date.
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