Third man charged in city slash-hook dispute

A THIRD man was in court yesterday facing charges in relation to a volatile confrontation in a housing estate in the early hours of Tuesday morning when slash-hooks, a hatchet and petrol bombs were seized.

Two men were remanded in custody yesterday in relation to the incident.

A third man, David Butt, aged 21, of 6 Avonmore Park, Mayfield, Cork, is charged with producing an axe and a slash-hook during a dispute.

Judge Con O’Leary decided to release Butt on bail following an application by solicitor Eamon Moloney, who described Butt as a peripheral figure to the main incident, as he was not related to any of the parties.

He also said gardaí were alleging that three men were in possession of offensive weapons but only two were recovered from the scene, a slash-hook and another which was variously referred to as an axe or a hatchet.

Judge O’Leary granted Butt bail on condition he signs daily at Mayfield Garda Station, abides by a curfew to be indoors at night, and to stay away from Corrib Lawn and Boyne Crescent in Mayfield.

Garda Denis Howard objected to bail. “I believe that if he is released on bail he will commit further offences. On July 24, I saw Mr Butt outside 59 Corrib Lawn on two occasions. On the first, he was holding an axe and swinging it violently towards the gardaí and a group of people in the area. On the second occasion he was holding a slash-hook and doing the same thing. I believe if he was released on bail he would return to the house and seek revenge,” Gda Howard said.

Mr Moloney, solicitor, said Butt was not arrested on the night and the next morning he went to Mayfield Garda Station when he discovered gardaí were looking for him.

It emerged Mayfield gardaí responded to a call to go to Corrib Lawn, Mayfield, Cork, to investigate a row between two groups of men at 4am on Tuesday.

Carl McCarthy, aged 23, from 59 Corrib Lawn, Mayfield, Cork, and his cousin, John Paul McCarthy, aged 27, of 18 Victoria Road, Blackrock, Cork, were remanded in custody until next Tuesday on charges of producing weapons during a dispute.