Croatian football fans accused of Ryanair flight disruption go free as trial collapses
Marco Bajzec (41) of Beechwood Park, Ballyboe, Glencar, Co Donegal, and Zvonimir Prkacin (40), Luis Buic (38), and Tomislav Zajec (39), all of the same address at Confey, Leixlip, Co Kildare, were arrested on January 22nd.
The four had hoped to fly to London that morning for the Dinamo Zagreb versus Arsenal FC Champions League match at the Emirates Stadium that evening.
Instead, they were charged with offensive behaviour on the aircraft but were granted bail that afternoon and pleaded not guilty.
READ MORE
The four contested the case, which went to a non-jury hearing at Dublin District Court on Friday.
Judge Susan Fay heard evidence from a cabin crew member alleging that they boarded normally. But just before take-off, one stood, asking to use the toilet.
The court heard he was advised it was not possible at that time. The captain was notified that the unspecified passenger was on his feet at the back galley.
The plane could not take off, and he was advised several times, and that man was eventually given permission to use the toilet.
Then his friends also wanted to go to the toilet, with one allegedly saying, 'If you don't let me go to the toilet, I can urinate at the back galley,' the court heard.
The witness could not remember which of the four made that remark.
The captain was told they were not complying with the safety regulations and it was not possible to proceed. A decision was made to offload them from the aircraft.
However, the defence made legal submissions about lawyers for the four men not being furnished with the prosecution witness's statement before the hearing.
The men's barristers opposed an adjournment, saying that one of the accused had been put on Ryanair's no-fly list, affecting his ability to travel.
Barristers applied for a dismissal.
Judge Fay described the disclosure issue as a 'genuine oversight'.
She said the statement in question should have been disclosed, particularly where the issue had been ventilated before the hearing.
However, she refused to grant a full dismissal of the charges and struck out the case.
At their first appearance in January, Gda Emmet O'Byrne and Gda Conor O'Neill told Judge Kelly they arrested the men at 9.15am at stand 107L in Terminal 1.
The four were brought to the airport and Ballymun Garda stations to be charged under the Air Navigation and Transport Act.
The judge noted that Mr Bajzec and Mr Buic made no reply while Mr Prkacin answered, 'I feel sorry for the passengers on the flight and the staff; they were delayed because of us'.
Mr Zajec stated to gardaí: 'I have done nothing wrong'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
37 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Mother and two children killed in Co Fermanagh shooting are ‘irreplaceable', funeral told
The funeral of a mother and her two children killed in a suspected murder-suicide last week has heard they played an 'irreplaceable' part in the lives of their families, community and beyond. Vanessa Whyte (45), her 14-year-old son James and 13-year-old daughter Sara were shot during the incident at their home in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh , on the morning of Wednesday, July 23rd. The sole suspect, Ian Rutledge (43), died in hospital several days after the shooting. Mr Rutledge was married to Ms Whyte and was the father of her two children. Mourners were asked to wear bright colours to the Mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Barefield, Co Clare , where Ms Whyte is from. READ MORE Bishop of Ferns Ger Nash told those gathered in the church, outside and viewing online that many are 'heartbroken at the tragic and unspeakable loss of three lives with so much to give to the world'. 'Every story and shared memory since their deaths reminds us of the irreplaceable part they played in the lives of their families, their community, their schools, workplaces, teams and clubs,' he said. He said there is no easy answer for why tragic events such as this occur. 'Here in Barefield church today with Vanessa, James, and Sara, we are in the land of 'I don't know',' he said. 'The tragic events of last week, and the ripping away of three people from their family and friends leave us searching for answers and coming back again and again to the only answer that is completely true: 'We don't know.'' The funeral Mass Vanessa Whyte, her son James Rutledge, and daughter Sara Rutledge was held on Saturday. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA The coffins of shooting victims Vanessa Whyte and her children Sara and James Rutledge. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire The coffins of shooting victims Vanessa Whyte and her children Sara and James Rutledge. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire He said Ms Whyte brought immense gifts to her adopted county Fermanagh and the Maguiresbridge community. Bishop Nash said tributes paid to Ms Whyte and her children on came from people who knew them well but also from strangers who signed their messages: 'A Waterford mammy', 'A Cork granny', 'A Wicklow mother' and 'A Dublin family'. 'There were some with both dads and mams mentioned, but there were many where a woman spoke from her own heart. They don't know you, nor you them. But they know your story, and if they hug their teenagers more tightly and call a ceasefire in the perpetual war about tidy rooms, then they have learned that life is precious, and we must be grateful for every day given to us and to those we love,' he said. 'Over and over, I could see that women and mothers, as individuals, reached out in their shock and sadness at the loss of a mother and children ... The messages highlighted the vulnerability of women to pain inflicted by others and [there were] were signs of solidarity in the face of that pain.' Addressing Sara and James's friends, he encouraged the young people to 'talk often about our absent friends and to seek help and support when the sorrow becomes too heavy'. Police Service of Northern Ireland detectives are continuing their murder investigation.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Woman (50s) dies after getting into difficulty swimming in Co Donegal
A woman in her 50s has died after getting into difficulty while swimming in Co Donegal . Gardaí in Killybegs were alerted to the incident at Glencolmcille just after 7pm on Friday evening after the woman was taken from the water. She was airlifted to Sligo University Hospital where she was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination is due to take place and a file will be prepared for the coroner. READ MORE Investigations are ongoing, gardaí said.
Sunday World
5 hours ago
- Sunday World
Two gardaí suspended and charged with corruption offences after alleged ‘dodgy' drugs search
It follows a lengthy investigation by the anti-corruption unit (GACU) into the search. Two gardaí are due to appear before a court in the midlands in the coming weeks, charged with corruption offences linked to a drugs search. It follows a lengthy investigation by the anti-corruption unit (GACU) into the search. It has been a torrid period for An Garda Síochána, with several serving gardaí or former members of the force appearing before the courts. In the week when Justin Kelly was named as the successor to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, the force is also reeling from a damning report that claimed some road policing officers displayed a 'blatant disregard' and were 'openly hostile' to carrying out their duties. The latest development involving the two gardaí and the drugs search comes after GACU was investigating if they had been involved in perverting the course of justice. One of the suspects is a sergeant, and the other is a rank-and-file officer. Both are male and have many years' combined service in the force. The allegation is that the search was done for the benefit of the suspects or someone else The sergeant has been involved in a number of high-profile drug-dealing investigations. The other officer has been suspended for some time, while the sergeant was first suspended from duty on Monday after the pair were arrested by appointment. They were charged with the corruption offences and released on station bail. News in 90 Seconds - Saturday, August 2 'This matter relates to an alleged dodgy drugs search,' a source said. 'The allegation is that the search was done for the benefit of the suspects or someone else. The search was not designed to take drugs off the streets.' It is expected that the case will be sent forward to the circuit court, which has wider sentencing powers than the district court. A garda spokesman said: 'As part of an ongoing investigation by the Garda Anti- Corruption Unit, two gardaí based in the north-west region were arrested, and following directions from the DPP have been charged in relation to alleged corruption offences. Both gardaí have been suspended.' Ninety-four gardaí are currently in total suspension across the country, but most of those suspensions are not for alleged corruption matters. An Garda Síochána's anti-corruption unit is involved in a number of separate investigations, including a probe into a now suspended Dublin-based garda over an alleged plot on the Dark Web to have his ex-partner murdered. He has not been arrested. A number of gardaí have appeared in court in other high-profile criminal cases in recent weeks Last week, MMA fighter Charlie Ward (44) and a 57-year-old other man were returned for trial, accused of corruption offences involving 'confidential' garda information and helping to pervert the course of justice. That followed an investigation by the anti-corruption unit, and the DPP directed trial on indictment at Dublin Circuit Court. When outgoing commissioner Drew Harris set up the anti-corruption unit, he said there was no reason why Ireland should be any different from other European countries when it came to dealing with corrupt and criminal activities of a small number of individual officers. Separately, a number of gardaí have appeared in court in other high-profile criminal cases in recent weeks. The cases include former garda Shane Flanagan (39), with an address in Co Clare, was jailed for seven years this week for impersonating a female colleague online and encouraging strangers to go to her house to rape her and her young daughters.
