Man naked in court after his ‘emotional support cat’ goes missing
A MAN appeared in court nude and refused to wear clothes after his “emotional support cat” went missing during a traffic stop arrest.
The facts of the case were laid bare when Joseph Davis (51) appeared before Judge Marie Quirke at Dublin District Court.
Mr Davis, of Ashington Mews, Dublin 7, was charged with Road Traffic Act offences of failing to give gardai his details and not keeping the car stationary during an alleged incident on Friday at Dunsink Drive, Finglas.
Judge Quirke heard the motorist refused to wear his clothes when brought to the courthouse. She remanded him in custody with consent to €200 bail, directed medical attention, and asked gardai to find out what happened to his cat Oliver.
Mr Davis entered the stunned courtroom naked with his hands over his private parts, but within seconds he stood with arms out to argue his case after rejecting the services of a lawyer — telling him to “f**k off ”.
Garda Eva Mahedy said the accused made no reply to the charge at Finglas station, where he was offered bail but refused to sign his bond. She added that there was no objection to his bail, but that gardai sought a €100 cash lodgement.
“I don’t see his wallet on him today,” the judge remarked, at which Mr Davis interjected, “You don’t see f**king anything.”Tirade
The court sergeant informed the judge the man had his property, including his clothes, and “he just won’t put them on”.
Mr Davis went on a tirade but was warned that anything said must be relevant to the case. He said: “What happened yesterday, I was travelling with my companion pet Oliver, he normally comes into this court. I was dropping off legal documents pertaining to a legal case in the High Court.”
Mr Davis called gardai “scum”, maintaining that he tried to show them the documents and claiming that he had been bashed.
He claimed he had been lent the car involved in the alleged offence and demanded: “Now, where is my emotional support animal?”
The court heard a doctor attended him in the Garda station and gave him advice, but the accused claimed he was seen by someone who did not speak “f**king English”. He said he was stressed because his emotional support animal was missing.
The judge was told that Mr Davis was previously allowed to bring the cat to court with him, provided he kept it on a leash.
Mr Davis said: “Please, I need to find my animal. I’m lost without him, and he is lost without me.”
He will appear at Cloverhill District Court tomorrow.