Tag Archives: Judge Patrick Durcan

A 78-YEAR-old East Clare man has appeared before a sitting of Killaloe District Court, charged with possession of child pornography. The accused man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is charged with knowingly having in his possession child pornography on April 30, 2009, at an East Clare address. Garda Aidan Sweeney outlined at this week’s sitting of Killaloe District Court that, of the images that are the subject of these charges, 81 fall under category 1, which is the most serious and relates to images depicting children engaging in explicit sexual activity or witnessing explicit sexual activity. A further 116 images, which are also subject to the charge before the court, relate to category 2. Judge Patrick Durcan was asked to determine whether the case would be dealt with in the district court or the circuit court, and he refused jurisdiction. He remanded the defendant to Killaloe District Court on November 1 for the preparation and service of a …

A 74-year-old peace activist has described as “unconstitutional” bail conditions banning him from entering Clare with the exception of court appearances. Colm Roddy, of Bayside Walk, Sutton, Dublin 13 appeared before Ennis District Court this week where he attempted to have his “onerous” bail conditions, which he says he signed under protest, made more lenient. Mr Roddy, along with Dave Donnellan, 56, of Reuben Street, Rialto in Dublin, who was also in court on Wednesday and made a similar application, have both been charged in relation to an alleged incursion at Shannon Airport. It is alleged that they both caused criminal damage to a perimeter fence at Shannon Airport on May 25 of this year. Inspector Tom Kennedy informed the court that the gardaí are awaiting instructions from the Director of Public Prosecution in relation to the case. Bail conditions, including that the pair stay away from Clare, were imposed in May at Gort District Court by Judge James Faughnan …

A self-taught cannabis grower who was cultivating plants in his bedroom in a “sophisticated way” without the use of soil, was interested in the science of the process, Ennis District Court heard last week. John Conneely of Shandangan, Corofin pleaded guilty to the cultivation of cannabis plants at his address, having cannabis for sale or supply and possession of controlled drugs on May 25, 2015. At a sitting of Ennis District Court on Thursday last, gardaí outlined that eight cannabis plants and 450g of cannabis valued at €9,000 was found at the defendant’s home. The defendant alleged he was cultivating for personal use only and that the way the drugs were found – separated out into different jars – was not for selling purposes but rather to separate out the flavours. Solicitor for Conneely, Stiofán Fitzpatrick, said his client, who he described as reclusive, is in his 40s and lives at home with his parents. He left school at 14. …

A 37-year-old man appeared in Ennis District Court this week charged with the sexual exploitation of a child in County Clare. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is charged with the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl on a date between September 7, 2014 and September 27, 2014. The charge states that the accused communicated with the child with the intention of carrying out an act that would constitute the sexual exploitation of the child contrary to Section 3 of the Child Trafficking Act 1998. During the hearing on Wednesday, Inspector Tom Kennedy informed Judge Patrick Durcan that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that the case could be dealt with by summary disposal in the district court. Inspector Kennedy informed Judge Durcan that the contact that was made between the accused and the injured party consisted of about 40 to 50 text messages and he added that about half of the text messages were of …

In the second cash seizure at Shannon airport within a week and the seventh so far this year, Revenue officers seized €9,000 in cash from a Polish woman at Shannon Airport on Monday. The woman, in her twenties, was stopped and questioned by Revenue officers prior to boarding a flight to Wroclaw in Poland. Officers seized the cash in accordance with proceeds of crime legislation and were granted a three month detention order today (Tuesday) by Judge Patrick Durcan at Kilrush District Court to facilitate further investigations.

In an intelligence-led operation, Revenue officers seized €8,700 from a Polish man at Shannon Airport on Monday. The seizure was made when the man, in his thirties, was stopped and questioned by Revenue officers prior to boarding a flight to Krakow. Officers seized the cash in accordance with proceeds of crime legislation and were granted a three month detention order today (Tuesday) by Judge Patrick Durcan at Ennis District Court to facilitate further investigations.

A 62-year-old Kilkee farmer charged in connection with the dumping of decomposing carcasses at Baltard Cliff last year was advised by Judge Patrick Durcan to seek legal representation before his next court appearance. Martin Gerald Foley of Lislanahan appeared before this week’s sitting of Kilrush District Court in connection with the discovery of approximately 17 animals at the base of Baltard Cliff, near Doonbeg, on dates unknown between April 20, 2013 and March 31, 2014. He was charged with dumping the animals in  a manner that is likely to cause environmental pollution, contrary to Section 32 of the Waste Management Act. During the hearing, Inspector John Ryan said the Director of Public Prosecutions had instructed that the case be heard in the circuit court. Mr Foley did not have legal representation in court. “My advice to you, Mr Foley, is that you seek legal representation,” Judge Durcan commented. “Not yet, I’m working on it,” the defendant replied, when asked by …

A Limerick man who fled from Ennis Courthouse last week has handed himself into the authorities. Jason Freyne, (22), who had been on the run for six days, turned up at Limerick Prison on Monday evening around 7pm. A gardai manhunt in both counties Clare and Limerick had been underway since he absconded from Ennis Courthouse last Wednesday evening. Freyne, from Carew Park in Limerick, escaped from custody with an 18-year-old at approximately 3.15pm last Wednesday. The two men walked out the back door of the building and made a run for freedom. However, the other man, Keith Garrihy of Beechgrove, Newmarket on Fergus, was arrested by gardai in Clarecastle within hours and brought back to Ennis courthouse for return to Limerick prison. Judge Patrick Durcan heard last week that Freyne sped away at 160km from a pursuing garda in a chase along the M18 motorway in April of this year before being arrested at Moyross.