Three Laois men remanded on bail after an alleged assault on two takeaway staff
Image for illustration purposes
FOUR of six people who allegedly carried out an assault on two takeaway restaurant workers had their cases listed at Portlaoise District Court last week.
Pádraig Donogher (21), 64 St Brigid’s Place, Portlaoise; Chelsey Keogh (19), 159 St Brigid’s Place; and Ali Heffernan (20), 1 Bridge Street, Portlaoise were in court charged with violent disorder on 8 November last year at Lyster Square.
A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of the fourth person, who failed to turn up for his case, Adam McDonald (21), 21 Bianconi Way, Portlaoise. He is charged with assault causing harm at the same location on the same occasion.
Garda Sgt JJ Kirby said that there was multi-angled CCTV footage of the alleged assaults. He said one of the alleged victims did not supply a victim impact statement, while the other alleged victim had received injuries and there were photographs and a medical report on him.
Sgt Kirby said the director of public prosecutions (DPP) had directed that the cases be conducted by way of summary disposal (district court) on guilty pleas only, subject to the presiding judge accepting jurisdiction in the cases.
Judge Susan Fay said she may want to see that footage ahead of making her decision.
Legal representatives for the three defendants asked that ahead of any showing of CCTV footage that they be provided with it to allow them to prepare rebuttals.
Judge Fay asked Garda Sgt JJ Kirby to outline the alleged facts in the cases.
He said the alleged facts were similar to all three defendants before the court.
Sgt Kirby said: “On 8 November last, two Bangladeshi men had finished work in a fast-food takeaway restaurant and were on their way home. As they passed by a group of six young people who had been at a birthday party, one man approached them and allegedly involved himself in a physical altercation with them. He alleged that the other five young people who were present at the time surrounded both men, allegedly, “in concert or intervened, joining in.” After viewing the photographs of the alleged injured, Judge Susan Fay said that she was not satisfied to accept jurisdiction in the cases.
However, legal representatives for the three defendants said that while six people were allegedly involved in the incident, some played a lesser role than others and asked Judge Fay before making a final decision on whether to accept jurisdiction that she view the CCTV footage and that they also could view it ahead of the next sitting of the cases.
Judge Fay agreed and remanded all three on continuing bail to the 22 June sitting of the court to determine jurisdiction after viewing CCTV footage of the alleged incident.
