Man, 77, appears in court charged with 79 sex crimes on minors after Dublin Airport arrest following US extradition
The 77-year-old was before at
Advertisement
The accused faces 78 charges of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.
It is alleged that the
Sergeant Amy Kelly gave details of arrest, charge and caution.
She told Judge Michelle Finan that the man was arrested at
Advertisement
READ MORE IN NEWS
He was brought to Ballymun garda station where he was charged with the 79 counts after 7am.
The
Sergeant Kelly said the man was handed a true copy of the charge sheets.
There was no application for bail however there was for legal aid.
Advertisement
Most read in Irish News
Exclusive
His defence counsel said he has no assets and was not working before the judge granted it with no objections from gardai.
A further application was made for medical assistance for the man as he had no dentures or no hearing aids which he needed "urgently."
Gardai and RSA measures aimed at driving crash deaths on Irish roads
The judge said she would note that for the Governor of the
The accused was remanded in custody until next Tuesday at Cloverhill District Court, where he must be produced.
Advertisement
The court also heard the Director of Public Prosecutions have directed a trial on indictment at the Central Criminal Court.
The man was arrested and extradited from the
He was flown on board a commercial flight from Washington overnight to Dublin Airport.
Dressed in a green top, grey shorts, the man did not address the court as he was surrounded by three prison guards but spoke to his legal representative.
Advertisement
1
The man was before the court this morning
Credit: Alamy
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
16 minutes ago
- The Journal
Irish, Spanish and Dutch/Iranian groups came together to launch dangerous €58m cocaine plan
AN IRISH, SPANISH and Dutch/Iranian crime grouping had come together to run a sophisticated high-tech failed operation to import €58m into Ireland, the Special Criminal Court heard today. In the second day of a sentence hearing before the three judge court sitting in Dublin Inspector Joseph Young was outlining the garda evidence gathered in the case. The accused who have pleaded guilty are: Dutch national Kiumaars Ghabiri (52), Spanish nationals Mario Angel Del Rio Sanz, (45), of no fixed address, Juan Antonio Gallardo Barroso, (56), of no fixed address, Pedro Pablo Ojeda Ortega, (36), of Cadiz; Angel Serran Padilla, (40), of Malaga; Anuar Rahui Chairi, (42), of Marbella; and Serbian national Aleksander Milic, (46). The men are charged with conspiracy to take possession for sale or supply of the cocaine under Section 15a of the Misuse Drugs Act. Today the court heard the nature of the cell structure of the team that came together to carry out the scheme. Young said that he considered the drugs trafficking conspiracy to be based around cooperative cell structures. He said the Dutch/Iranian cell played a role which was specific to the logistical part of the enterprise. Young showed several exhibits of photographs and CCTV of different gang members making their way to Ireland on flights from Lisbon and the UK as well as a ferry from Scotland to Northern Ireland. CCTV was also gathered of them buying equipment and downloaded seized phones which showed them taking selfies on their travels in Ireland, in the UK and in the Netherlands. In one picture there was even tourist pictures of Big Ben in London. In download there was a group photograph, at a location in the Netherlands, gang members were seen sitting smiling around a table. There was also evidence from Inspector Young that the high-powered and stealth style Rigid Inflatable Hulled Boat (RHIB) had been transported into Ireland inside a heavy goods truck. Its three 300 horsepower engines had been purchased by the criminals in Portugal. Images were shown of a rental truck used to transport the RHIB's engines across Europe. Advertisement The RHIB was brought into the country through Rosslare from Dunkirk. Gardaí learned that it was intended to be held in a commercial premises in Swords Co Dublin but later it travelled onto Omagh in Co Tyrone where the haulage company that owned a large articulated truck used in the operation was located. Young told the court that the Spanish crew members were generally hired hands working as specialists in fast boat transfers. Each of the team had separate jobs including, for example, Milic who was making sure the fuel was clean – he was also, the garda said, acting as a 'notary' for the Irish crime group involved in the operation. There were others who were mechanics for the engines as well as other experts. The court was told that the RHIB crew were at sea in very challenging conditions for close to 48 hours. While there were specialist seats for the other crew members, Milic was forced to sit elsewhere in the high speed craft and this caused him to require dental treatment on his return. Ultimately the court was told the RHIB never met the mothership Cool Explorer due to the bad weather conditions. It traveled onto its ultimate destination of St Petersburg but dumped the drugs near Jutland on the coast of Denmark. The drugs found there had a GPS tracker on board which showed that it matched the Cool Explorer's route. Gardaí also found screenshots pictures in the phone gallery of devices used by the gang arrested by the detectives in Cork that showed geolocation images of mapping that included pins of locations off Denmark. Other data on the phones seized by the gardaí were videos of reconnaissance of locations by gang members. During cross examination by Senior Counsel Elizabeth O'Connell, who is representing Mario Angel Del Rio Sanz, Young described the nature of the crime as being 'failure in attempt but not failure in the intent.' When the barrister put it to the Inspector that his client was offered a payment of €15,000 to work in the trafficking operation he said he agreed that the Spanish crew members were 'hired for a fee'. The State's evidence has ended and the defence barristers will continue their mitigation tomorrow before the court will adjourn to a sentencing date. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Prison service pleaded with Government to delay court cases to address chronic overcrowding
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) pleaded with the Department of Justice to stop scheduling extra court sittings and to consider using cells in Garda stations for prisoners. A message from IPS director of operations said they had done everything in their power to deal with overcrowding in jails, as numbers in custody approached 5,000. However, the senior official said they had now run out of options and 'decisions outside of their control' meant the number of people in prison would continue to rise. The email was sent last summer as the IPS struggled with high levels of overcrowding, which have since deteriorated further. The director of operations — whose name was withheld on security grounds under Freedom of Information laws — said there were 'no easy or palatable decisions' left. He said the UK government had just introduced emergency measures and delayed some court cases due to its own problems with overcrowding. The message said there were eight steps that needed to be considered or reconsidered as a 'matter of urgency' to ease pressure on Irish jails. This included: 'Cancellation of scheduled additional court sittings and a commitment that no further additional sittings will be arranged pending prison capacity being addressed.' He also called for the decision to appoint or reassign criminal judges to be reconsidered and cases involving asylum claims be dealt with in 'alternative facilities'. The director of operations said Ireland should also consider delaying court cases and using Garda cells to house prisoners. He added: '[We should] reconsider the proposal to unilaterally increase the rate of remission provided for under current legislation.' The email said a new policy on bail was needed urgently to ensure people awaiting trial for 'non-serious offences' were not sent to jail. An eighth suggested measure was redacted from the records on the basis it could compromise the security of the prison system. The email was forwarded to the Department of Justice in May along with an update from the governor of Mountjoy Prison, Ray Murtagh. The governor's message said: 'We now have an historical number of 912 prisoners in custody this morning, and when I previously expressed concern we were at 858. 'I now have all my additional 114 bunk beds filled and an additional 57 on mattresses.' He said the C base of Mountjoy was at full capacity, and a newly arrived batch of 12 prisoners would also have to sleep on mattresses on the floor. 'We are currently over 120% capacity, and this has placed significant unprecedented pressure on the prison,' wrote Mr Murtagh. He added he could see 'no abatement' in sight and other prisons in Dublin and Laois were also running over capacity. The records were only released this week by the Irish Prison Service following an appeal under FOI. The number of prisoners in custody has since smashed the 5,000 barrier, and on Monday of this week reached more than 5,500. That included 588 on temporary release as authorities have sought to ease pressure on a system that is operating at 119% of capacity. Asked about the correspondence, a spokesman said: 'The Irish Prison Service must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the courts. 'As such, the Irish Prison Service has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time.' He said temporary release was used on a case-by-case basis, and they were working closely with the Department of Justice to ensure a safe working environment for staff and for prisoners.
Sunday World
4 hours ago
- Sunday World
Irish carriage driver (57) sobs as he is acquitted of horse's death in New York
'TERRIBLE TIME' | Ian McKeever had pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor char Ian McKeever on CBS News A six-person jury found Ian McKeever (57)not guilty of overworking a horse called Ryder, who collapsed en route back to his stable on an 84-degree Fahrenheit (29-degree Celsius) day in August 2022. The horse lay on an avenue near Times Square for nearly an hour as concerned bystanders gathered around and police cooled him with a hose and ice. The animal ultimately got up, to cheers. Ian McKeever on CBS News News in 90 Seconds - July 22nd McKeever, who was born and raised in Ireland but has lived in New York for decades, had pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. His attorney, Raymond Loving, said the horse wasn't overtaxed and simply tripped while changing lanes on a Manhattan street. 'The verdict was very gratifying. This has been an ordeal for him,' Loving said by phone, adding that 'the evidence just didn't support the charge.' Speaking after the verdict, Mr McKeever told CBS News the allegations had had a terrible impact on his life. "I'm in this business 40 years, and I've never, ever abused a horse in my life," McKeever said. "This has been a terrible three years for me. Everybody was looking at me like I was an abuser of a horse, and it just killed me." He added: "You know, anytime a horse is on the ground, like, lying down, it looks bad. But if people understand horses, this happens, and our priority is to get the horse up," McKeever said. "I didn't know he had cancer. I didn't know he was sick." Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that prosecutors presented 'a thorough case based on the facts and evidence.' Featured in countless movies and TV shows, New York's horse carriages are popular with visitors and people celebrating special occasions. But animal rights advocates have long tried to get the coaches banned, and the issue became a prominent, celebrity-studded local political debate for a time about a decade ago. Read more Anti-coach activists question the horses' treatment and contend that Manhattan streets are no place for equines, pointing to some collisions and collapses over the years. Enthusiasts say the carriages are a time-honored tourist draw that employs several hundred drivers and creates a role for surplus farm and race horses that might otherwise be slaughtered. McKeever, an Irish immigrant, has been a carriage driver for decades. His brother owned Ryder. A horse-carriage-industry veterinarian, Dr. Camilo Sierra, told jurors he estimated Ryder's age at 28 to 30, eventually settling on 26 — the maximum age at which carriage-pullers can legally work. Police Sgt. Vincent Fontana testified that McKeever told him the horse was 13. Ryder was outside for over seven hours on Aug. 10, 2022, mostly in Central Park, taking passengers on two trips over the course of the day. Passerby Caroline Londahl-Smidt testified that she worried after noticing his prominent ribs and seeing him seem to struggle up a hill, with McKeever shaking the reins in an apparent effort to hurry the horse along. Prosecutor Sophie Robart argued that McKeever 'pushed Ryder beyond his limits' until the horse's body gave out. After Ryder left the park and collapsed, bystander video published by the New York Post showed McKeever snapping the reins at him and telling him to get up. McKeever's lawyer maintained that Ryder wasn't overheated or mistreated, and that the driver acted responsibly. McKeever, 56, testified that he strove to get the animal to stand because prolonged reclining can cause health problems for equines. Ryder's temperature was normal and his breathing rate was slightly elevated when Fontana measured it, after the horse had been hosed down for some time. Later that evening at the stable, Sierra found Ryder alert, with normal vital signs, but he noted the underweight horse walked weakly. The veterinarian said he believed the animal had a neurological problem. Two months after the collapse, an ailing Ryder was euthanized. A necropsy showed he had bone cancer. Carriage drivers' union shop steward Christina Hansen said Monday that the union has since taken steps, including improving access to a horse hospital. Drivers "enter this line of work because we love animals,' she said. Animal rights activists, meanwhile, continued to inveigh against the industry. Edita Birnkrant, who runs an anti-horse-carriage group called NYCLASS, called the verdict 'heartbreaking" and renewed a call for the city to stop issuing new carriage driver licenses. Another Manhattan carriage driver was charged with animal cruelty in 2013 after authorities said he kept a horse working for days with an injured hoof. That driver pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a noncriminal violation, and was sentenced to community service, according to news reports. Court records of his case are sealed.
