Man accused of driving cherry picker through Cork city further remanded in custody

There have been no directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions yet in relation to the matter

A section of the Mary Elmes pedestrian bridgein Cork city was closed off following the incident. Picture: Larry Cummins

A man who was never in custody in his life spent Christmas in prison on charges arising out of a case involving widely shared videos of drunken men jumping around in the cage of a cherry picker being driven through Cork city centre.

Kyle Boyle, aged 31, appeared at Cork District Court today by video link from Cork Prison.

Eddie Burke solicitor said: “The difficulty here is that he has never been in custody before in his life. The case is relatively straightforward, relating to a driving issue and damage done to a bridge. All we seem to be doing is waiting for the valuation of the damage.” 

Sergeant Gearóid Davis confirmed that there were no directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions yet in relation to the matter. The sergeant said he was not aware of the extent of the damage but that it could be extensive.

Mr Burke agreed that it could well be extensive but that the valuation should be given as the case dated back to the beginning of November.

Judge Catherine Ryan remanded the accused in custody until January 19.

Garda Paul McCarthy previously testified that the Mary Elmes Bridge in Cork city was damaged with a portion of it crashing into the River Lee when the cherry picker — or mechanical scissor-lift — was driven on to the pedestrian bridge causing some of the bridge floor to crash into the River Lee.

“Pedestrians were left at risk of falling directly into the river as a result of this damage and it had to sealed off for public safety,” Garda McCarthy said.

Mr Boyle, of Cork Simon Community, is accused of causing this criminal damage, as well as damaging a metal bollard at Oliver Plunkett St and five counts of dangerous driving of the mechanical vehicle around the city.

Garda McCarthy said previously that at 8.20pm on November 2, gardaí responded to a report of a theft of a scissor-lift that was about to be collected and removed from St Patrick’s Quay. He said keys were not in the ignition but in one of the compartments of the cage so that it could be collected.

“It is alleged that on the quay and on roads and pedestrian footpaths along the centre of Cork City there was dangerous driving. This incident occurred at a time when both road and pedestrian traffic in the city centre was busy and the incident was captured on mobile phone cameras and shared on social media by multiple witnesses at different parts of the route. The scissor-lift was brought to a stop by Gardai on South Gate Bridge where arrests were made.”