A man charged in connection with the alleged stabbing of two pigs at Thornton Hall in Dublin, a site planned for international protection accommodation, is to be sent forward for trial before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Darren Jackson, who was previously ordered to stay away from all international protection sites, was in Swords District Court on Tuesday when his case came before Judge Shalom Binchy.
The judge was told the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that Mr Jackson, represented by solicitor Fiona Darcy, should be sent forward for trial on indictment or on signed plea.
The court was told Mr Jackson had asked for a book of evidence which was ready.
Judge Binchy agreed to adjourn the case to February 10th for formal service of the book of evidence and remanded Mr Jackson on continuing bail to that date.
Mr Jackson (39), of Rivermeade Drive, Rivermeade in Dublin, has been charged with two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to, or endangering the health or welfare of an animal at Thornton Hall, Killsallaghan, Swords, on June 26th 2024.
He is also charged with stealing a set of keys on the same site on the previous day, June 25th 2024.
When the case was previously before the District Court on January 7th last, Garda Philip Walsh of Swords Garda station said Mr Jackson made no reply to the charges after caution.
Judge Dermot Dempsey had granted bail on Mr Jackson’s own bond of €500 and directed he must sign on at Swords Garda station twice weekly, notify gardaí of any change of address and stay away from all international protection sites.
At around 5.30pm on the evening of June 26th last year gardaí were called out to Thornton Hall. It is alleged two injured pigs discovered there were attended to by a vet and subsequently euthanised. A third pig was unharmed and was taken into care.
It was announced last year the government intended to develop the Thornton Hall site as an international protection accommodation centre.
In May last year, the Department of Integration confirmed it was working with the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Justice on plans to use a portion of the State-owned land at Thornton Hall to provide large-scale tented accommodation for those seeking international protection.
In August, the department put in place a ministerial order to provide a planning exemption for works on the Thornton Hall site, and initial works commenced.
Judicial review proceedings brought in October by representatives of local residents over the procedures applied in developing the relevant ministerial order led to further works on the site being paused.
The Department of Integration said in November last it had set aside the ministerial order and was to undertake “administrative updates” and “develop a replacement order for this site.” Works at the Thornton Hall site would remain paused in the interim, it was stated.
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