A Dublin man has been charged over a “dramatic” high-speed one-hour visitors pursuit by which a stolen van collided with Garda Armed Assist Unit (ASU) automobiles.
Matthew Grogan (23), of Bramley Terrace, Swords, Co Dublin, was arrested and detained by gardaí within the early hours of Thursday.
He was denied bail throughout an look earlier than Choose Dermot Simms at Dublin District Court docket on Saturday.
He’s charged with unlawfully utilizing a stolen 191-reg Toyota Proace van which was taken on Wednesday in Swords, in addition to with harmful driving, having no licence or motor insurance coverage, possession of hashish for private use, legal harm, and theft of a sum of cash from the car.
He additionally faces a related cost for trespassing at a property in Ardee, Co Louth, earlier than the visitors pursuit.
Throughout a contested bail listening to, Garda Jordan Martin instructed the court docket Mr Grogan was caught within the driver’s seat of the van.
The garda objected to bail as a result of seriousness of the case. The accused was detained at Coolock Garda station following his arrest over a “high-speed, extremely harmful pursuit from Ardee”, the garda stated.
He alleged the person didn’t cease as he drove southbound at about 2am on Thursday on the M1 adopted by ASU and different Garda patrol automobiles.
It was alleged he left the motorway and continued onto the R132, the place he broke pink lights after which drove northbound on a southbound lane.
Mr Martin alleged the stolen van carried out a U-turn after which got here to a halt when the van collided with two ASU automobiles, inflicting harm to them.
He accused Mr Grogan of getting proven “no regard for human life” and “no regard for different highway customers, or gardaí, or certainly his personal life”.
‘Disputed proof’
Defence counsel Kevin McCrave stated his shopper disputed proof that he admitted to gardaí that he knew the van was stolen.
Questioned about citing the seriousness of the case as cause to object to bail, the garda agreed that instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions haven’t been acquired but.
Pleading for bail, Mr McCrave stated Mr Grogan was about to start out a brand new job and needed stability in his life. He submitted that there was no proof that his shopper would intervene with witnesses.
The small print of the case had been considerably dramatic however Mr Grogan could possibly be ordered to obey strict bail circumstances and he would self-impose home arrest, counsel stated.
He might signal on twice day by day at a Garda station and obey a curfew, the defence proposed.
Refusing bail, nevertheless, Mr Justice Simms stated the alleged offences had been very severe. He remanded Mr Grogan in custody to look at Cloverhill District Court docket subsequent Wednesday.
The accused didn’t tackle the court docket. He has not but indicated how he’ll plead.
Authorized assist was granted.