Case against gang target to stand

A judge has refused to throw out a phone theft case brought against gang target Ross Hutch.

Ross Hutch, 24, who won €33,000 in cash and prizes on RTÉ’s Winning Streak last year, is accused of stealing a man’s iPhone worth €875 at Marino Mart last Sunday.

Garda Sharon Kavanagh told Judge Anthony Halpin at Dublin District Court yesterday that the father of two with an address at Portland Place, in Dublin 1 made no reply when he was charged. He was arrested on Sunday evening and held overnight before being brought to court.

Judge Halpin was asked to throw out the case. Defence solicitor Declan Fahy argued that the court should make “no order”.

He said the legislation under which Mr Hutch was charged said he should have been brought before the next court sitting and had his case called before 12 noon but it was not heard until 2.15pm.

The judge heard that the charge sheet was lodged in court at 10.10am.

However, Judge Halpin said he understood that the law stated the accused must “as practicable” be brought the next sitting of the court. Refusing the defence application he said the circumstances did allow for that .

He noted that there was no objection to bail but he agreed to impose a condition sought by the garda to bar Mr Hutch from the Clontarf, Fairview and Marino areas.

He held that a request to order him to obey a curfew was “a little excessive”. In relation to an application for him to sign on regularly at a Garda station, the defence said that Mr Hutch has “huge personal security difficulties”.

Judge Halpin agreed that ordering him to sign on may well jeopardise his security and he refused to make that a condition of bail.