Man in court accused of firework attack in Copper Face Jacks

A 27-year-old is to stand trial accused of attacking a man with an ignited firework in Copper Face Jacks nightclub in Dublin.

Oliver Callely, with an address at Seamount Road, Malahide, was on Tuesday charged with assault causing harm to man at the nightclub on Harcourt Street on September 6th, 2015.

He is also accused of an offence under the Explosives Act as he is alleged to have thrown, directed or propelled an ignited firework at the alleged injured party. He appeared before Judge Patricia Harney at Dublin District Court following his extradition from the US.

Mr Callely is a son for former Fianna Fáil politician Ivor Callely.

Det Garda Niall Murray told Judge Harney that Oliver Callely “made no reply” to either charge after caution. The Director of Public Prosecutions directed a trial on indictment meaning his case will be dealt with in the Circuit Court. Mr Callely has not yet indicated how he will plead.

Objecting to bail, Det Garda Murray told Judge Harney the matter went back a number of years. He alleged that Mr Callely had missed appointments with the garda and then went to the US.

Holiday

Det Garda Murray agreed with defence solicitor Michael Hanahoe that Mr Callely had told him he planned to go to the US but he said he thought he was going for a holiday. He also accepted he had missed an appointment with Mr Callely.

Mr Hanahoe put it to the detective that Mr Callely agreed to return, voluntarily. Det Garda Murray replied that Mr Callely was arrested on June 5th and was in custody in the US pending his return to Ireland. The court heard he still had his visa but had surrendered his passport.

Judge Harney set bail at €5,000 and ordered that €2,500 had to be lodged. Mr Hanahoe said his client’s sister, who was in court, could deal with that.

A book of evidence was served on him and the judge made an order sending him forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where his next hearing takes place on July 26th.

As a condition of bail, Mr Callely was ordered to surrender his passport and not apply for new one, provide gardaí with a contact mobile phone number, reside at the address he gave to the court and sign on daily at Malahide Garda station. He was told he must notify the prosecution if he intended to use an alibi in his defence and an order was made for gardaí to hand over copies of video evidence to his solicitor.