A teenager charged with setting fire to a Garda patrol car was refused bail this week because he had continually ignored warnings given to him by the court.
Darren Moran (18 ) with an address at 20 Rinn Lia, Ballybrit, was brought before Judge Mary Fahy again last Monday charged with allegedly setting fire to the driver and passenger seat of a Ford Mondeo car, property of An Garda Siochana, and with resisting Garda Declan Fawl at Rinn Lia on December 7, 2007.
The court heard that the defendant had been remanded in custody until this week and that gardai were awaiting DPP directions regarding an assault.
When defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran made an application for bail Inspector Ernie White objected asking instead for the defendant to be remanded in custody for another week.
The defendant told Judge Fahy that he just wanted to go home for Christmas. Ms Corcoran said that her client was a very young man who has had difficulties with alcohol. She said that Moran was prepared to undertake strict curfew and signing on conditions if granted bail.
However Inspector White informed Judge Fahy that the incident, which was very serious, resulted in a patrol car being set fire to and that this had happened at the defendant’s own home and while he was on bail.
Judge Fahy replied that the defendant was “well known to this court” and that she had warned him in the past to be of good behaviour after granting him bail.
“He promised but he has continuously ignored warnings,” she said.
Ms Corcoran told Judge Fahy that her client had never before been in prison and that it had been “quite a shock to the system”.
Judge Fahy replied that she had to refuse the bail application but granted leave to appeal the decision in the High Court. The defendant was then remanded in custody to appear at Harristown District Court this Friday, December 19.
