A man, who failed to sign on at Athlone Garda Station as part of his bail conditions, appeared before Athlone District Court on Wednesday.
Solicitor Padraig Quinn represented Derek Horan of St Mel’s Terrace, Athlone and he told the court his client had told him he had difficulty signing a book that had been used by sex offenders.
It was all part of the bail condition laid down by Judge Seamus Hughes in May and included was a curfew that was imposed from 9pm. However Horan had not come to Garda attention.
Mr Quinn told the court his client understood now he has to sign on.
Although Horan had charges of theft and trespassing struck out at the request of Gardaí, he was facing charges of threatening to kill a garda, assaulting a woman, and being in possession of a metal scraper and a glass bottle, which comes under the firearms offences.
Judge Hughes stated the defendant was in breech of his bail conditions and asked what measures the prosecutors had made to ensure his bail conditions were met.
In response Inspector Nicholas Farrell told Judge Hughes it would have been normal that such conditions would have been monitored but that there were a lot of people on bail in the Athlone area.
Judge Hughes stated the bail conditions were set down by the court and called for a more considered response in the future from the prosecutors and described the incident as totally unsatisfactory.
Mr Horan reappeared after lunch with his case receiving a second calling. By then he had already signed on at Athlone Garda Station, and gave assurances he would continue to do so.
Judge Hughes remanded Horan on continuing bail adjourning the case until a book of evidence could be completed. A curfew was imposed from 9pm until 8am and he was ordered to sign on at Athlone Garda Station on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
He will appear at Athlone District Court on October 12 at which time a date will be set for his hearing. It is under he will be contesting all charges.
