Defendant refused bail to attend his uncle’s funeral

A PLEA from a defendant to be allowed bail to attend the funeral of an uncle fell on deaf ears.

Brought before the District Court sitting in Wexford was 33-year-old Thomas Kelly from 9 Stream Street in Taghmon.

The judge learned that he had been arrested at Arnestown in an intoxicated state after reports were received by gardaí from two farmers early on the morning of May 13.

The first reported an attempt to take a tractor and the second told Gard Ann Marie Myler that a JCB had been moved and crashed into a ditch.

Sergeant Gary Rayner opposed the granting of bail pointing out that the defendant was arrested at Arnestown when he should have been at home in Taghmon under the terms of a curfew imposed by the court on a previous occasion.

Kelly was sworn in to tell Judge Gerard Haughton that he would turn up on June 13 if granted an adjournment and that he would keep to the curfew in the meantime.

He also said that his uncle ad died the previous day and he wanted to be with his family at a time of bereavement.

However, bail was refused and he was remanded in custody at Cloverhill Prison for two weeks, leaving the courthouse at Ardcavan in the custody of two gardaí.

The charges alleged unauthorised taking of vehicles belonging to Pat McCormack and Barry Bennett.