Man held over unpaid hotel bills

A 58-year-old man accused of clocking up thousands of euro in unpaid hotel bills in Cork City was remanded in custody again yesterday as mystery continues to surround his identity.

Gardaí objected at Cork District Court to John Wilkins getting bail.

Inspector Michael McGuire said questions had been put to international police colleagues through Europol and he added: “We are still not happy with his ID. It appears he has changed his name a number of times by deed poll.

“He was born in Germany and his name was Robert Lewis. He then changed his name to a German name and changed it again after that.

“We have checked the addresses he has given in Britain and they are not coming up.”

Judge Aeneas McCarthy remanded the accused in custody until October 30.

The defendant is charged with obtaining services by deception at Moran’s Silversprings hotel to the value of €124 on October 17.

He is also charged with obtaining bed and breakfast and evening meals at the Clarion Hotel between October 2 and October 9, causing a loss of €1,200 for the hotel, and similarly at the Imperial Hotel between October 8 and 17, thereby causing a loss to the hotel of €1,390.