Woman, 34, facing trial for ‘solely' setting fire to bus causing €477k damage during Dublin riots weeps in court
Violence broke out after a girl, aged five, was severely wounded, and two other
Advertisement
Leanne Kelly, 34, who is from
She was charged last week and faced her latest appearance before Judge Michele Finan at Dublin District Court on Monday when
The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that she face "trial on indictment" at a higher level with greater sentencing powers.
Judge Finan acceded to a request from prosecutor Sharon Rossiter to grant a return for trial, sending her case forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal
Advertisement
Read more in News
When Ms Kelly was first charged in April, the judge set her bail at €300 and required a €3,000 independent surety, which had to be approved before Ms Kelly could be released under strict terms.
However, she had been unable to take it up and remained in custody since then.
Her solicitor, Niall O'Connor, asked the court to consider reducing the bail, adding that her client would be able to live with relatives in Co Wicklow and was a different person now.
However, Detective Garda Barry Brennan objected.
Advertisement
Most read in Irish News
Exclusive
He agreed with Mr O'Connor that the bus had already been damaged before Ms Kelly allegedly got involved. However, he maintained that she "solely caused it to be set alight".
He alleged the incident occurred during the "Dublin riots" and he claimed that at about 7.30 pm, Ms Kelly picked up a piece of rubbish and ran to a garda car that had been set on fire.
Detective Garda Brennan said she "extracted flames from the garda car onto the piece of rubbish and she ran to the Dublin Bus".
The court heard it had already been abandoned after being surrounded by rioters.
Advertisement
It was claimed that Ms Kelly ran onto the bus and threw the burning rubbish on the ground.
TRIAL PLEA
The accused wept as she pleaded to be freed pending the trial telling the court: "I have no intention of f****** this up".
She spoke out saying she had suffered trauma at a young age, was living in a tent at the time of the riots, and there had been a family bereavement while she was in custody.
Judge Finan decided to reduce the surety to €1,000 and emphasised that if taken up, she must obey conditions set earlier: reside at Kilbride Grove, Bray, Co Wicklow, obey an 11pm to 6am curfew, sign on daily at the local Garda station, and remain contactable by phone.
Advertisement
The charge under Section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act carries a possible 10-year sentence and a €10,000 fine.
Ms Kelly was granted legal aid and told she must notify prosecutors if she intends to use an alibi in her defence. gardaí were also directed to hand over interview videos to the defence.
To date, 85 people have been arrested in connection with the Dublin riots, with 66 charged.
Meanwhile, a man awaits trial accused of attempted murder of three children earlier that day at Parnell Square in the city centre.
Advertisement
1
A woman accused of 'solely' setting fire to a Dublin Bus has been sent forward for trial
Credit: PA
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
4 hours ago
- Sunday World
Two injured as Bohs and Derry City fans clash with sticks, bats and iron bars
Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street. Carl Winchester of Derry City after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Derry City players Carl Winchester, Sam Todd and Mark Connolly after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Videos circulating online appear to show trouble outside the stadium. Two people were injured after rival fans clashed with sticks, bats and iron bars at last night's match between Bohemians and Derry City. Violent scenes unfolded outside the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry before and after the League of Ireland fixture. Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street. Today the PSNI said two people needed hospital treatment. Videos circulating online appear to show trouble outside the stadium. News in 90 Seconds - July 26th Local SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan was at the game, and said he was left frightened by what he had witnessed. Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargy, meanwhile, said 'so-called football supporters from Dublin' attacked local people. Police believe the violence was orchestrated. Derry City players Carl Winchester, Sam Todd and Mark Connolly after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile The PSNI said disorder was focused in the Lecky Road and Lone Moor Road areas. 'Shortly after 7pm on Friday evening, police were made aware of two large groups of rival football supporters in the area attacking each other near the Lecky Road flyover with sticks, bats and iron bars and causing damage to buildings and cars parked in the area. "A teenage boy and a man aged in his 20s sustained injuries as a result of this incident and were taken to hospital for treatment. "Further disorder then occurred in the vicinity of the Brandywell stadium during and after a football match which was taking place. "Officers were in attendance and worked along with stadium staff to bring the disorder under control. No arrests have been made at this time.' Superintendent William Calderwood said: 'We believe that the disorder we witnessed on Friday evening was pre-arranged and we will be reviewing all available footage to identify those involved.' Speaking today, Mr Durkan condemned the trouble, saying 'thugs came to Derry masked and armed with an array of weapons.' He said: 'In terms of scale and the level of violence and danger to those in the vicinity, we haven't seen anything like this and I hope we never do again." Mr Durkan said he was late to the match due to an unrelated incident, and arrived to find the stadium 'in lockdown'. He said a bus-load of fans – separate to the organised Bohs travelling support – arrived in the city and caused problems, which continued after the full-time whistle when some locals retaliated. 'A bus-load of people - I wouldn't call them fans - came here intent on causing bother,' he said. 'I can't be certain it was an organised fight but there certainly seemed to be elements of choreography to their attack. 'The stewards at the Brandywell were under a lot of pressure. I was speaking to them in the second half and after the match, and they did their best in a very difficult situation. So too the police, who were liaising with the stewards and the security team at the Brandywell.' Mr Durkan described how he had to leave quickly after a group of visiting fans ran in his direction. 'At one point the Derry security team was trying to keep the Bohs fans in the ground but 40 or 50 broke away and just came towards where I was standing,' he added. 'It was genuinely scary. I don't scare easily but we did turn on our heels and go in the opposite direction. "People were genuinely frightened and that shouldn't be the case, especially when they go to a football match.' Mr Durkan said trouble continued as the game ended. Carl Winchester of Derry City after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile 'There were people gathered with sticks, golf clubs and fireworks. They were roaming the perimeter prior to the match ending, and they were masked up as well,' he said. 'So while I have pointed the finger, accurately I believe, at the people who came on the bus for starting the bother, the stuff afterwards was retaliatory.' The match was also briefly suspended after a flare was thrown from outside the ground onto the pitch. Local Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargy also condemned the trouble. He said many people in the area had felt frightened. 'The sight of masked youths armed with an array of weapons, and fighting in the streets before turning on the PSNI, was terrifying for local residents, including children, who witnessed this appalling violence,' he said. 'In what seems to have been a pre-arranged attack connected to a football match at the Brandywell, the violence erupted when so-called football supporters from Dublin attacked local youths as well as cars and property belonging to residents. "That is disgraceful and the violence that took place on our streets needs to be condemned. "It threatened the safety and well-being of local residents and stands in stark contrast to the fantastic work that is going on in the area through the Féile and the redevelopment of Meenan Square.' The match finished in a 1-1 draw. Afolabi Akinyemi's first goal for the Candystripes broke the deadlock, before Ross Tierney levelled things for Bohemians. Derry City and Bohemians have been contacted for comment.
Irish Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Education worker who was falsely branded 'incontinent' takes discrimination case
Management at a state education provider falsely claimed that a senior employee was incontinent and had short-term memory loss with the aim of justifying their decision to suspend him, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has heard. Martin Kelly is pursuing complaints against Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) under the Employment Equality Act and the Terms of Employment (Information) Act. He had been employed at Ballina Training Centre in Mayo since 1990, and claims that he should have been made a teacher in 1999, but was instead told to sign a contract as a resource worker. Mr Kelly told an adjudication hearing of the WRC that he 'hadn't a clue what this was', but was advised that it would 'enhance and improve' this position, so he signed it. When he was approaching retirement and made enquiries about his pension entitlement, however, he discovered that there had been a 'huge difference' in the roles of teacher and resource worker. Lansdowne House, the offices of the Workplace Relations Commission in Ballsbridge, Dublin. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Agency, Dublin) He sought to rectify the situation and alleges that he was penalised as a result, having been placed on administrative leave for three months, which had the effect of fuelling 'rumours and conjecture'. The WRC heard that MSLETB management claimed in an email that Mr Kelly was incontinent and was suffering from short-term memory loss. These were 'outrageous untruths', according to Mr Kelly's legal representative. She alleged that these 'false matters' had been raised in an effort to provide some justification for the education provider's 'discriminatory acts of suspension' after Mr Kelly agitated for his entitlements. He told the WRC that he had taken summer holidays in June every year for 30 years but, in July 2023, received a letter from MSLETB management claiming that he had been absent without leave for the past month. Mr Kelly was subsequently asked to undergo a medical assessment. His legal representative claimed that this constituted discrimination because a younger person in his position would not have been asked to do this. He attended an appointment for medical assessment in Sligo in September 2023 but it did not go ahead because he did not know why he had been referred, and the doctor said she could not examine him if she did not know what was wrong, he told the WRC. Mr Kelly was placed on administrative leave on October 12, 2023, and underwent a medical assessment on November 16, when he was examined for 'seven or eight things', including incontinence and memory loss. He told the WRC that it was 'absolutely disgraceful' that management had alleged that he was suffering from short-term memory loss. He also recalled that the author of that email had asked him to 'drive a bus around for three days'. 'So, I find it hard to believe that he would think that I was incontinent,' he remarked. Mr Kelly said the same manager had also asked him to play football at the training centre at a time when he was 70 years old. He suggested that the manager would not have done this if he had any concerns about his health. The adjudication hearing was adjourned and will resume at a later date, when representatives of MSLETB will respond to the complaints. For the latest breaking news and top stories from the Irish Mirror, visit our homepage
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Thomas ‘Bomber' Kavanagh faces rest of his life in prison if he doesn't pay €1.3m
In a statement the NCA said Kavanagh has three months to pay £1.1 million sterling or he faces 12 years in prison. Senior Kinahan cartel boss Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh faces 12 more years in jail if he does not pay the British State over €1.26 million following a proceeds of crime investigation. The gangster is already serving a total of 27 years in an English prison after being convicted of drugs trafficking, firearms offences and money laundering. If he is unable to provide the money, the 57-year-old Drimnagh native faces spending the rest of his life behind bars. The development was announced today by the UK'S National Crime Agency (NCA) who described 'Bomber' as the head of the Kinahan crime group in the UK. Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh News in 90 Seconds - July 25th In a statement the NCA said Kavanagh has three months to pay £1.1 million sterling or he faces 12 years in prison. 'He was jailed for 21 years in March 2022 for orchestrating the importation of multi-million-pound drug shipments worth around £30million at UK street value,' the NCA said in a statement. However he was given another six years last October he orchestrated a gun cache plot from prison. The NCA said: 'He also admitted being involved in the illegal trafficking of firearms and money laundering. 'Another high-ranking gang member, Gary Vickery, 43, was arrested in October 2017 after NCA officers seized 15 kilos of cocaine and more than 220 kilos of cannabis which was found inside a six-tonne industrial tarmac removal machine in Dover. 'Subsequent investigations showed Kavanagh was heading up the criminal enterprise, and he was arrested at Birmingham airport as he returned from holiday in January 2019. 'Following his sentencing, NCA investigators began looking into the gang's finances and assets for seizure under the Proceeds of Crime Act. 'Officers estimated that Kavanagh's criminal profits were in the region £12.2m, but recoverable assets amounted to £1,123,096.84. 'This includes his 50% share of his fortified family mansion in Tamworth, Staffordshire, money from the sale of various other properties in the UK and a villa in Spain, and approximately £150,000 of high-end bags, clothes and accessories which were discovered 'when Kavanagh's house was searched following his initial arrest in 2019. Vickery was also subject to the POCA hearing and has been ordered to pay back £109,312.90 within three months or face another two years in prison. 'At previous hearings orders were made to forfeit an Audemars Piguet watch worth £75,000, as well as just over 100,000 euros that was seized from a hotel room when Vickery was arrested. 'In October 2024, Thomas Kavanagh admitted additional firearms offences and perverting the course of justice, after NCA officers uncovered an elaborate plan that Kavanagh hoped would significantly reduce his prison sentence. 'Kavanagh directed his trusted associates Shaun Kent and Liam Byrne to purchase firearms and ammunition and bury them so he could reveal their whereabouts to NCA investigators. All three were jailed for a total of 17 years, with Kavanagh's six years to be served on top of his 21-year sentence. Kay Mellor, Head of Operations HQ at the National Crime Agency, said: 'Thomas Kavanagh was the head of the UK's arm of the Kinahan organised crime group, responsible for the importation and distribution of drugs and firearms, making millions of pounds in the process. 'He and his gang believed they were untouchable, but that proved to be their downfall. Kavanagh and Vickery will be behind bars for many years to come and now have to pay back more than £1 million to the state. 'We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to target, disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups, deprive them of their assets and ensure they face justice'. Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: 'Thomas Kavanagh and Gary Vickery are dangerous criminals in the organised gang world, importing millions of pounds worth of dangerous drugs on an industrial scale to the UK. 'This successful £1 million Confiscation Order demonstrates the prosecution team's commitment to work across borders to strip organised criminals of their illegal gains. 'We continue to pursue the proceeds of crime robustly and will return them back to court to serve an additional sentence of imprisonment if they fail to pay their orders. 'In the last five years, over £478 million has been recovered from CPS obtained Confiscation Orders, ensuring that thousands of convicted criminals cannot benefit from their offending. £95 million of that amount has been returned to victims of crime, by way of compensation.'
