Convicted sex offender denied bail for failure to notify change of address, Portlaoise court hears
Portlaoise Courthouse
A CONVICTED sex offender was denied bail when he was brought before last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court.
The case was held in camera, which prohibited the press from identifying the accused.
The court heard that the 26-year-old is charged with possessing cocaine valued at €3,430 for sale or for supply and to possessing cocaine for his own use when searched by gardaí on 15 November. He is also charged, as a person on the sex offenders list, with failing to notify gardaí of a change of address on dates between 6 December and 7 January.
Det garda Brian Jennings said he was objecting to bail being granted to the accused.
He said that during a garda surveillance operation, gardaí observed the accused passing on a substance to another man. When he saw gardaí, he left the scene and allegedly stored items in a wheelie bin in the front of a house, which was captured on CCTV. Gardaí retrieved the items and initial analysis showed it to allegedly be cocaine.
The detective said that a few nights later at 4am, the accused returned to where he allegedly stored the drugs and shone a torchlight into the CCTV camera of the house in what he described as an intimidatory action.
Det Jennings said the accused is on the sex offenders list and is deemed to be a high-risk offender.
He said that on six occasions gardaí called to the address he was to have been residing at, but he was not present and he did not inform them that he had changed address. He said when gardaí searched the house, they found very little evidence of clothing or belongings there owned by the accused.
Det Jennings said the accused was released from custody in October 2025 after serving six years and nine months for rape.
The man’s barrister, Anne Doyle, said that there was no obligation on her client to be present when gardaí called. She said the reason why her client had not been present at the address when gardaí called was because he was possibly in another county visiting his child or was catching up on other members of his family after coming out of prison and coming up to the Christmas period.
She said the house he was residing in was a two-bed and he was living there with the homeowner and her child. She said the woman no longer wanted him residing there or gardaí calling to her door all the time.
Ms Doyle said the reason why there was very few belongings in the house was because her client had left jail with very few possessions.
She said that the sister of the accused is willing to provide an address for him now.
Det Jennings said that the address being offered by the man’s sister is also the address for another known sex offender, who is her partner, “and he, too, is a high-risk sex offender.” Ms Doyle said that her client denies that it is him that is seen on the CCTV house footage.
Taking the stand, the man’s sister said: “My brother has been a long time out of my life. If granted bail, I would ensure that he sticks by all his conditions. He has an offer to start a job.” She said that she has been residing in the house, which is owned by her uncle, for the past five weeks.
Ms Doyle said that her client informed her that his time in prison had been traumatic.
She said: “He has advised me that all he wants to do is to get on with his life. As a convicted sex offender, he is treated like a pariah in society. He has employment to go to fixing flat pack furniture. He is willing to abide by all bail conditions imposed on him. He admits he wasn’t at the address when gardaí called but is asking the court to consider the time of the year it was. He was calling on family members around the country.” Noting the sister’s uncle (houseowner) was not present in court to consent to the man residing at the address and concerns that gardaí had about him interfering with witnesses in the alleged drug case, Judge Andrew Cody denied bail and remanded the accused in custody to appear by video link at Tullamore District Court tomorrow (Wednesday).
