No bail for man on petrol bomb charges

A man charged with two offences as a result of a petrol bomb attack on a house which injured three children has been refused bail.

Gregory Hennessy, aged 23, of 66 Priory Lawn, Waterford, was before Waterford District Court for the second time yesterday in relation to his alleged involvement in the incident last Thursday.

He is charged with reckless endangerment by allegedly throwing a petrol bomb through a sitting room window at Ardmore Park, Waterford, “which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another,” and also with criminal damage.

The court heard he has “denied all involvement” in the incident.

There was no application for bail when he was first brought before the court in relation to the charges last Saturday, but his solicitor, Kenneth Cunningham, made an application for bail yesterday to Judge Kevin Staunton.

Mr Cunningham said a book of evidence will have to be prepared for his client, with the case to be heard before the circuit court, and, if refused bail, Mr Hennessy was likely to remain in custody for months while waiting for this to happen.

Inspector Carmel Banville said the gardaí had “serious concerns” about where Mr Hennessy would reside if granted bail.

Detective Sergeant Siobhan Keating said gardaí received a report at about 9.19pm last Thursday about a petrol bomb being thrown through the front window of a house at Ardmore Park.

Nellie Halligan and her two daughters were in the house at the time, along with three children aged 11, one, and three months. The children were in the front room at the time and sustained injuries as a result.

“One remains in a serious condition with serious burn injuries at Cork University Hospital,” Det Sgt Keating told the court.

Mr Hennessy was subsequently arrested during the investigation.

Det Sgt Keating described what happened as “a very serious incident” and said that, since Thursday night, “tensions have been very high” in the area.

Asked by Mr Cunningham for the status of the investigation, the detective said an incident room was established last Friday with an officer in charge of the incident room and a team of detectives working full-time on the case.

She agreed with Mr Cunningham that, if refused bail, Mr Hennessy would end up in custody awaiting trial for at least a period of weeks.

She also accepted that Mr Hennessy has “denied all involvement with regard to the charges”.

Judge Staunton said the accused is before the court on “very serious charges” but remains an innocent man until otherwise proven in a court of law. There was the question of time taken to get to trial, he said, but there was a team of detectives on the investigation and it “would appear to be gathering some pace”.

He said the correct thing for the court to do in this matter is to refuse bail.

Judge Staunton remanded Mr Hennessy in custody, to appear again in court on November 4.