Five now charged over family feud in Charleville
GARDA DOUBTS A CLAIMED PEACE DEAL HAS BEEN BROKERED IN THE LONG RUNNING TWO-FAMILY FEUD
FIVE people have now been charged in relation to an alleged feud between two families in Charleville – with a claim emerging that the feud has now, in fact, ended.
On Friday, an 18-year-old man was remanded in custody after he was arrested and charged with two offences, which gardaí alleged occurred as part of a feud between the two families in Charleville, which has seen property damaged in a series of attacks.
Paddy O’Driscoll from Rosewood Drive, Charleville, was the fifth person to be arrested by investigating gardaí as part of their probe into the feud between the O’Driscoll and O’Neill families, which has been ongoing for the past six weeks and seen homes and cars attacked.
Mr O’Driscoll was brought before Fermoy District Court, where he was charged by Det Garda Gary Costelloe of Charleville Garda Station with possession of a slash hook and causing criminal damage to the door and window of a house at Batt Donegan Place, Charleville on January 8.
Det Garda Costelloe gave evidence of arresting Mr O’Driscoll at 7.26pm on January 11 and later charging him on January 12 with the two offences. He told the court that Mr O’Driscoll made no reply to either charge when they were put to him after caution.
Sgt Linda O’Leary told Judge Colm Roberts that gardaí were objecting to bail, and she asked Det Garda Costelloe to outline the grounds for garda concerns if Mr O’Driscoll was granted bail, which the detective duly did.
Det Garda Costelloe said that there was an ongoing feud between the O’Driscoll and O’Neill families in Charleville. The violence has already escalated over the past six weeks, and he had concerns it would escalate further and could result in someone being injured if Mr O’Driscoll was granted bail.
He said that there was strong evidence against Mr O’Driscoll, with two witnesses having identified him as being one of the people armed with a slash hook who caused damage to the house in Batt Donegan Place, but he was concerned Mr O’Driscoll would intimidate witnesses if granted bail.
Defence solicitor Matt Berminghan questioned Det Garda Costelloe and asked him did he know that the feud had ended on Friday morning, saying he had just received information to that effect and that some intermediary had brokered a peace deal.
But Det Garda Costelloe said he knew nothing about the feud ending,
“I have been dealing with this feud for years and I cannot believe that it has come to an end today” Detective Garda
adding he was sceptical to say the very least that a truce had been declared in the dispute. “I have been dealing with this feud for years and I cannot believe that it has come to an end today,” he said.
Mr Bermingham asked Det Garda Costelloe would he withdraw his objection to bail if Mr O’Driscoll agreed to move out of Charleville, but Det Garda Costelloe said this would not satisfy him. “My objection is not based on where he lives, my objection is based on his behaviour,” he said.
Mr Bermingham invited Mr O’Driscoll to take the stand, and the accused told the court that he would abide by any bail conditions set by the court, including signing on daily at Charleville Garda Station and keeping a curfew if granted bail.
But Judge Roberts said he was concerned about granting Mr O’Driscoll bail given he is charged with carrying a slash hook, which is very serious,, and he adjourned the bail application to Fermoy District Court for a week to seek certain clarifications, remanding him in custody until January 19.
Earlier, four other men were charged with a series of offences arising from the ongoing garda investigation into the feud.
On Thursday, the four men were all brought before Midleton District Court before Judge Colm Roberts.
Det Garda Gary Costello of Charleville Garda Station said gardaí feared the feud would escalate and that offences would be committed when he objected to bail for one of the accused, John Meehan (23) who was an associate of the O’Driscolls through his mother, who is an O’Driscoll.
“The accused is involved in a feud between the O’Neill and O’Driscoll families – there have been multiple incidents of criminal damage in this feud, and the level of violence has escalated and there is a risk of somebody suffering serious bodily harm if it continues,” said Det Garda Costello. Mr Meehan from Corrin View, Ballyhea, County Cork was charged with two offences, namely causing criminal damage to a door and window of a house belonging to Mark O’Neill at Batt Donegan Place, Charleville, and possession of a slash hook on the same occasion on January 8.
Applying for bail for Mr Meehan, defence solicitor Charlie O’Connor said that his client strongly denied any involvement in the feud and denied that he was present when the two offences with which he was charged had been allegedly committed.
However, Det Garda Costello said that gardaí were objecting to bail on the seriousness of the charge and the strength of the evidence in the case, with two witnesses having made statements identifying Mr Meehan as the man who had committed the offences.
Mr Meehan took the witness stand and told Judge Roberts that “I wasn’t there, I wasn’t present – I have nothing at all to do with it,” but Judge Roberts said he was satisfied that garda concerns about the feud escalating were well grounded, adding that carrying a slash hook was a serious matter.
He said that, in the circumstances, he felt he had no other option but to remand Mr Meehan in custody to appear again at Mallow District Court on January 16 by video link for DPP’s directions, and he granted the accused free legal aid and assigned Mr O’Connor to represent him.
Earlier, two other men, Sonny O’Neill (45) of St Brendan’s Drive, Charleville and Mark O’Neill (43) of Batt Donegan Place, Charleville, were each charged with causing criminal damage to a car at Ballysalagh, Charleville, on January 4, contrary to Section 2(1) of the Criminal Damage Act.
Det Garda Paul O’Shea of Mallow Garda Station said Sonny O’Neill made no reply to the charge when it was put to him after caution, while Det Garda Brendan Dunne of Kanturk Garda Station said Mark O’Neill replied “Never happened” when the charge was put to him after caution.
Mark O’Neill’s son, Davey (19), of Batt Donegan Place was charged with causing criminal damage to a car at Ballysallagh on January 3 and with making a threat at Goughs Pub, Main Street, Charleville, on March 5 that he would damage property contrary to Section 3 of the Criminal Damage Act.
Garda Tracey Gleeson of Charleville Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to Davey O’Neill and said that the accused made no reply to either charge when they were put to him after caution when she arrested him.
Judge Roberts granted Sonny O’Neill bail on condition that he sign on daily at Charleville Garda Station, abide by a curfew, stay away and have no contact, directly or indirectly, with the injured party in the case and stay off social media, be sober in public and contactable on a mobile 24/7.
He also granted Mark O’Neill and Davey O’Neill bail on similar terms, though he excused Davey O’Neill from having to sign on daily at Charleville Garda Station and the requirement to be sober in a public place after Garda Gleeson said such a condition was not necessary in his case.
Judge Roberts remanded all three O’Neills to appear again at Mallow District Court on January 23 for the DPP’s directions in the matter, and he granted all three free legal aid, assigning solicitors Joe Cuddigan and Don Ryan to represent them.