A man has appeared in court in Wexford on charges relating to a hoax anthrax scare.
Mr William Douglas (20), Coolgreaney Park, Arklow, Co Wicklow, was arrested following an incident in Arklow last Friday.
He was charged with public mischief at a special sitting of Wexford District Court yesterday and remanded in custody to appear in Gorey District Court on Friday.
The charges followed the placing of a container of white powder in the Youth Reach offices in Arklow.
Det Garda Paul Comiskey said Mr Douglas had told him he was sorry for what he had done after being charged and cautioned at Arklow Garda Station following his arrest.
"He is a gullible young man," Det Comiskey said.
He accepted a submission by defence solicitor Mr David Tarrant that Mr Douglas was of "very low intellect".
Mr Tarrant said Mr Douglas would not have anticipated the result of his actions.
"William has a heart of gold. I would say he wouldn't have known what was going to happen," he said.
"Unfortunately it's now highlighted into the headlines, he is the first defendant anywhere in the world. He was watching TV and did it as a prank, not realising what would happen."
Mr Douglas's father appealed for his son to be allowed out on bail.
He said his son probably had a mental age of a child aged between 13 and 14.
"When he was about 12 we had to bring him to a health centre where a psychiatrist said he had the brain of a six-year-old . . . he does need psychiatric help."
Opposing an application for bail, Insp Peter Finn said a huge amount of concern and disruption had been caused in Arklow to members of the Garda, public health representatives, fire and Defence Forces as a result of the alleged offence.
He said the incident had left the town gridlocked as the emergency services dealt with the suspect package.
Insp Finn said the offence was serious and the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that it should be dealt with by way of indictment.
The judge said the question of bail could be raised again when Mr Douglas appeared before Gorey District Court.
Files are being prepared for the DPP in relation to at least five other people who have been arrested following similar incidents, according to garda∅.
Garda∅ expect to make further arrests soon in respect of some of the hoax anthrax scares which have taken place in the State over the past two weeks.
Those arrested may face imprisonment for wasting the time of the Garda, Army and the emergency services.
The spate of hoaxes and scares has led to considerable disruption of important emergency services.
Hospitals, fire brigade and ambulance services have been affected.
The Army's Ordnance Section, whose primary job is the disposal of dangerous explosive material, has been under considerable pressure and has been called out to more than 60 locations.
Many of the calls arise from innocent suspicions but a number have been defined as deliberate hoaxes.
In one instance last week, a south Dublin school was closed after a deliberate hoax.