Armed unit called to expel man from Council house

Court heard homeless man had lived at house with late mother and sister and was trying to ‘get accommodation’

ARMED gardai and a specialist negotiator were deployed after a man barricaded himself into a house in Ennis last week, a court has heard.
Ennis District Court last Friday heard the man had been living rough and illegally entered the property in an attempt to secure accommodation.
No one was harmed during the incident and the man was subsequently arrested and charged with trespass.
Directing the involvement of the probation services, Judge Sandra Murphy said “there is a particular tragic set of circumstances” in the case.
The three-hour stand off started shortly after 3pm on May 6 after gardai received a report that a man had barricaded himself into his former home on the outskirts of Ennis.
At Ennis District Court last Friday, Garda Eoin McFadden said the 28-year-old man was threatening self harm.
The court heard the man was recently evicted from the property which is owned by Clare County Council.
The man did not have permission to be in the property, the court heard.
Garda McFadden said the man appeared aggravated and told gardai he would kill himself.
A specialist negotiator and members of the garda armed support unit attended the incident, which came to a peaceful conclusion, the court heard.
The man was detained under the Mental Health Act.
The court heard a doctor assessed the man and it not was deemed necessary to admit him to the acute unit of Ennis general hospital.
The man was subsequently arrested and charged with trespass, contrary to section 13 of the Criminal Justice Public Order Act. He was brought before Ennis District Court where he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Defence solicitor John Casey said his client had lived at the property in question with his sister and mother who died last year.
Mr Casey said his client spent the week leading up to the last week’s stand off sleeping rough around Ennis.
He said his client’s behaviour was “an attempt by him to get accommodation”.
Mr Casey said his client has no previous convictions and had not threatened or put anyone else in fear during the incident.
“He was only a danger to himself”, the solicitor said.
Mr Casey added, “Things have been tough for him and I would hope that he would never come to garda attention after this”.
Judge Sandra Murphy noted that the accused’s behaviour had taken up three hours of garda time. However she said “there is a particular tragic set of circumstances” surrounding the incident.
She directed a pre-sentence probation report and adjourned the case to June 2. The man was released on bail subject to conditions including he stay away from the property in question.

by Ronan Judge