Man held accused of stabbing teenage camper

A 26-year-old man accused of stabbing a young camper in the throat at Dublin’s Hell Fire Club has been further remanded in custody.

Michael Corbett is charged with assault causing harm to three teenagers, two males, and a young woman on the afternoon of June 27.

The alleged incident took place at the Hell Fire Club, otherwise known as Montpelier Hill, a popular south Co Dublin site for hikers surrounded by lands owned by the State forestry company Coillte.

He had been refused bail by Dublin District Court on June 29 and was held in custody. Mr Corbett, of Woodbine Close, Raheny, appeared again before Judge Conal Gibbons at Cloverhill District Court yesterday.

Brian Coveney, defending, said the case was listed for directions from the DPP to be given. However, the directions were not available and Mr Coveney said there was consent to the case being adjourned for four weeks. He remained silent during the proceedings as Judge Gibbons further remanded him in custody to appear again on August 31 next.

A psychiatric assessment had been ordered at an earlier stage. He made no reply to the charges.

At his bail hearing earlier, Garda Pauline Glennon said three campers, an 18-year-old woman, a male aged 18, and a 17-year-old boy, were at the Hell Fire Club, at Killakee Rd.

The defendant, who was not known to them beforehand, allegedly travelled there by taxi and remained with them for a few hours. They also went picking logs.

Garda Glennon said it was alleged the 18-year-old youth was “stabbed across his throat, in to his chest and was assaulted with a log of wood”. She had added the young woman and the second youth were also struck with the log. The three teens were rushed to Tallaght hospital and were treated for a number of hours but were not kept overnight.

During the bail hearing, the court heard Mr Corbett “felt he was going to be attacked and there was a weird air about the place”. His solicitor had told the court he had serious underlying psychiatric problems and he claimed he was restraining the victim; there was a scuffle and this was something he did not want to happen.