A 19-YEAR-old man charged with assaulting another man in Tipperary town on St Patrick’s Day has been remanded in custody.
Four other men, aged between 18 and 23, who are also charged in relation to serious disturbances in the town on the same day, were released on bail yesterday.
Patrick O’Keeffe (19), of St Ailbe’s Drive, Tipperary, appeared before Tipperary District Court charged with assault causing harm to another man on Main Street in the town on March 17th.
Judge David Anderson remanded Mr O’Keeffe in custody to appear again at the court next week.
Jimmy Delaney (23), of Carrowclough, Tipperary, and John Paul Delaney (18), of Upper Abbey Street, Cahir, also appeared before Judge Anderson, both charged with assault causing harm on Main Street on St Patrick’s Day.
Both men were released on bail to appear again before the court in a month.
Two other men, Dan Delaney (18) and Ned Delaney (21), both of Carrowclough, were brought before the court charged with being intoxicated in a public place, with using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour and with threatening to assault a garda on March 17th in the town.
Both men have been in custody since last Wednesday.
Insp Paschal Feeney of Tipperary Garda station objected to an application for bail for the two men due to the nature and degree of seriousness of the charges against them.
Insp William Leahy of Thurles Garda station, who is leading the investigation into the disturbances, told the court that more serious charges were likely to be brought in relation to Dan Delaney. Insp Leahy told Judge Anderson he was concerned that if Dan Delaney was granted bail he would “threaten” or “intimidate” witnesses and injured parties in the case.
He said Mr Delaney was part of a larger group involved in a number of incidents in the town in the past few months.
Insp Leahy said that over the past 12 months witnesses who had made complaints had “withdrawn” or “failed to make” statements due to intimidation and fear.
Philip English, solicitor for Mr Delaney, said that his client had been living in Tipperary town all his life and had no previous convictions.
Similar objections to bail were made against defendants Ned Delaney and John Paul Delaney.
Granting bail to all three men, Judge Anderson said the State had not produced sufficient evidence showing intimidation of witnesses might occur. Jimmy Delaney’s and Patrick O’Keeffe’s bail application was heard in camera yesterday.
Dan, Ned, Jimmy and John Paul Delaney were all remanded on bail to appear again at Tipperary District Court on April 22nd.
Judge Anderson remanded Mr O’Keeffe in custody to appear at Tipperary District Court on April 1st.