A PORTUMNA-based man who has 90 previous convictions, 59 of which were committed while he was on bail, had another bail application objected to by Gardaí when he was brought before Ballinasloe District Court on theft charges.
Gardaí were concerned that the defendant could not provide a verifiable address where he could be contacted at, as they had great difficulty contacting him in the past.
His solicitor Jack Duncan admitted that there had been “a bit of chaos” in terms of where his client was residing but the Court was assured that he was now settled at a Portumna halting site.
Michael Ward was sworn in and gave evidence that he had been homeless for a year and a half in Dublin and because of this he had not received mail with summonses to appear in courts.
However, Judge Faughnan asked him if he had a phone and email. Ward admitted he had both. “Then why not put your court dates in your calendar? It’s as simple as that,” the Judge told him.
Ward replied that he would sign on at his local Garda Station every single day if he had to as part of any bail conditions. He agreed with his solicitor that he would remain of sober habits and not reoffend if he got bail.
However, Sgt Christy Brown asked the defendant if he understood the concept of bail and the requirement to be of good behaviour. Ward assured him that he did. But Sgt Brown pointed out that he had breached his bail conditions 18 times when it took 18 bench warrants to get him before the courts in the past.
He insisted that the defendant had given undertakings to be of good behaviour on numerous occasions previously but had not complied, and for this reason the State would be objecting to bail on this occasion.
Judge Faughnan refused bail, stating that he was doing so because of Ward’s bench warrant history and his record of offending while on bail. He remanded him to Harristown Prison to appear again before the Court via video-link.
