Man charged with assaulting gardaí

A 21-YEAR-OLD who allegedly assaulted an Inspector and another garda when stopped in connection with a careless driving charge has been ordered to reappear before Athy District Court in Kildare on February 10.

Michael McCarthy with an address at Ballylehane Upper, Wolfhill, County Laois, was remanded on his own bail of €20 yesterday by Judge Mary Martin.

Garda John Territt gave evidence of the arrest, charge and caution of McCarthy earlier that day. He said he cautioned him and handed him a copy of each of the charges. McCarthy had replied “no” to each of the charges, he said.

Counsel for the accused, Victor Clarke, said his understanding when the case first came before the court on November 25 was that additional charges were to be brought in the case.

He said he had just been handed the charge sheets and was not in a position to deal with them adequately without statements in the case.

Judge Mary Martin, after remanding McCarthy on his own bail of €20, adjourned the matter to February 10.

Mr McCarthy is charged with giving a false name and address to Garda John Territt on November 19, 2003 at William Street, Athy.

He is also charged with an assault on Inspector Michael Melia at the same address and an assault on Garda John Territt, also at the same address.

He faces a further charge of careless driving of a car-van at Killyganard, Laois, on the same date, as well as driving without insurance or a driver’s licence.