Three men and one woman who were charged in relation to an incident of unrest at the site of a then proposed asylum centre in Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow appeared before the courts this afternoon.
At a sitting of Bray District Court before Judge John O’Leary, Michale Sinnott, Shane Sinnott, Ben McNulty, and Sharon McCann – all with addresses in Newtownmountkennedy – were remanded on continuing bail in relation to their arrests on the night of 25th of April 2024.
Although the four were first brought before the courts on the 26th of April 2024, a book of evidence is yet to be served on them by the state.
The four accused were charged in relation to alleged breaches of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, Section 8 on the 9th of May, however the state has now withdrawn the Section 8 charge and is pursuing charges in relation to alleged breaches of Section 15 of the Public Order Act 1994
The new charges relayed to allegations of violent disorder with members of An Garda Síochána alleging that they were assaulted by the four on the night of the 25th of April 2024 amid scenes of unrest surrounding a lengthy protest against the establishment of asylum accommodation for single males.
At a previous hearing of the case against the four, the state requested that video evidence captured on the night of the disturbance adjacent to the asylum, centre at River Lodge, Trudder Newtownmountkennedy, be made inadmissible.
As Gript previously reported, curfews were set in respect of the four, however these were loosened to facilitate work commitments in relation to the accused.
Michale Sinnott, Shane Sinnott, Ben McNulty, and Sharon McCann were remanded on continuing bail in respect of their new charge sheets to appear before Wicklow Court on the 11th of March for service of the book of evidence against them.