Celebrity chef Conrad Gallagher has had his bail application refused and been remanded in custody following an appearance at Dublin District Court this morning.
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Mr Conrad Gallagher
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Solicitor for Mr Gallagher (32), Mr Karl Haughton, confirmed that his client had waived his right to extradition and had voluntarily returned to Ireland from the US for the hearing. The court also heard this morning that Mr Gallagher is suffering from testicular cancer and needs ongoing treatment.
Mr Haughton said his client had failed to turn up for his trial last October for alleged theft of paintings from the Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin because he was concerned his
application for US citizenship would be
compromised by the case.
He said Mr Gallagher "sincerely" apologised to the court for his failure to appear but "maintained his innocence".
According to Mr Haughton, Mr Gallagher, had been in custody for the past five weeks in the US without proper access to a phone which left him "caught between a rock and a hard place" in relation to dealing with the charges.
Mr Gallagher, who recently married an American and had established a business in New York, had intended to return to Ireland to face the charges as soon as his extradition application had been dealt with, Mr Haughton said.
Applying for bail, offering a €5,000 bond and an independent surety of another €5,000, Mr Haughton reminded the Court that his client had returned from Britain for all previous hearings; would be willing to present himself to a Garda station twice daily and would lodge his passport with the relevant authorities. He also submitted a Dublin address where Mr Gallagher would be staying which was not read out in court.
Mr Haughton also complained of the excessive media attention surrounding the case, saying his client "had been branded a fugitive".
Judge Michael White refused the application saying it was Mr Gallagher's "duty as an Irish citizen" to appear for his original court hearing and remanded Mr Gallagher in custody, setting a date of next Tuesday, May 20th for the trial to be refixed. He said that Mr Gallagher would receive "any treatment necessary" for his medical condition while in custody.