Judge denies bail for Yorkshire man extradited to Cork on assault charges

The alleged assaults are said to have happened at Rearden's nightclub in cork city in 2019

The defendant was remanded in custody until December 5. File picture: Larry Cummins

A Yorkshire man was extradited from the United Kingdom to Cork to face charges of assault causing harm to a man in Rearden’s nightclub and again shortly afterwards out on Washington Street more than three years ago.

Now at Cork District Court, the accused man, Billye Ajayi of Williamson Gardens, Ripon, North Yorkshire, England, has asked to be released on bail saying he had to work to pay his mortgage and support his family and he would come back to court if granted bail to return home.

Garda Shane Coakley who investigated the allegation of two counts of assault causing harm, objected to bail being granted to the 29-year-old.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the accused man had been working in Cork at the relevant time in May 2019 and had not been charged when he returned to Yorkshire. Garda Coakley agreed that this was correct. 

However, he said that he had made contact with the accused by phone on a number of occasions and that the defendant would not come back to Cork for the purpose of being charged and dealing with the case. Garda Coakley said the accused also fought the extradition through the courts in the UK, albeit an unsuccessful legal challenge.

Billye Ajayi was formally arrested last Friday, November 25, at Heathrow Airport in London and was ultimately brought before Cork District Court in respect of the two counts of assault.

Bail proceedings

Garda Coakley outlined the seriousness of the alleged assaults as part of his objection to bail. He said it was alleged that the accused had the torch from his phone pointed at the feet of the injured party in Rearden’s at around 1am that morning and there was some altercation.

“It is alleged that the defendant punched him in the jaw and was escorted from the premises,” Garda Coakley said.

The second alleged assault occurred on Washington Street when the defendant – in the company of an unnamed second man – punched the injured party a number of times in the face. In this incident, the defendant had his shirt pulled off him and he was later seen in the area with no shirt on him in the early hours of that morning, May 19, 2019.

The injured party sustained factures to the left and right of his lower jaw.

The defendant said he did not return to Cork previously because of the Covid pandemic, and that he challenged the extradition warrant on legal advice. He said that when the challenge proved unsuccessful, he travelled voluntarily to Heathrow Airport.

“They (employers) won’t be able to keep my job open for me. 

I won’t be able to pay my mortgage. I have never missed a court appearance. I was asked to go to Ireland but couldn’t travel because of the Covid pandemic. 

"I would do anything (in terms of complying with conditions if granted bail),” the accused said.

Sergeant John Kelleher cross-examined the defendant saying: “You could have said I am voluntarily going back to Ireland, but you chose not to.” Again, the accused said: “I couldn’t go back due to the Covid pandemic.” 

Judge Olann Kelleher said the two charges of assault causing harm were serious alleged offences. “I cannot be satisfied he will turn up in court if given bail.” The defendant was remanded in custody until December 5.