Navan man charged with garda assault and car damage appears in Athy District Court
Stephen Alexander (35) allegedly kicked a garda's private car and punched an officer in the jaw. He is remanded on bail until April to elect a trial venue.
Navan man faces assault and criminal damage charges after Athy incident
A 35-year-old man from Navan will return to court in April to decide where his case will be heard, after appearing before Athy District Court on 27 October on foot of a bench warrant, kildare-nationalist.ie reports.
Stephen Alexander, with an address on Abbey Road, Navan, Co Meath, had failed to appear at a previous hearing on 14 July. He told the court he had been hospitalised that day, an explanation the court accepted.
Sergeant Ruth Coleman outlined the charges: criminal damage and a Section 19 breach of the Public Order Act, which covers assaults on gardaí and first responders.
According to Sgt Coleman, on 5 July Sergeant Richard Gamble was driving through Athy town when he came across Alexander standing in the middle of the road. After refusing to move, Alexander allegedly kicked the side doors of the vehicle, causing €1,264 worth of damage.
Judge Desmond Zaidan asked whether the car was a squad car. Sgt Coleman confirmed it was not — it was the garda's privately owned vehicle.
Following his arrest and transfer to Athy Garda Station, Alexander allegedly became highly aggressive and punched Garda Darren Hogan in the jaw, causing what Sgt Coleman described as a significant injury.
When the question of legal representation arose, Alexander declined a local solicitor. "I have a Navan solicitor, but he's on strike," he told the court.
Judge Zaidan remanded Alexander on continuing bail until 13 April for election — the point at which the defendant must decide whether to enter a guilty plea and have the matter dealt with in the district court, as indicated by the DPP, or to plead not guilty. The latter option could lead the judge to decline jurisdiction and send the case for trial before a jury at Naas Circuit Court.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)