Man (20) charged with alleged apartment assault bailed

Ronan Considine, with an address at the Waterside, Ringsend, Dublin 4, was charged with assault causing harm and damaging a phone at his home address.

He faced objections to bail when he appeared before Judge Marie Quirke today at Dublin District Court.

The judge heard the accused was arrested at 2.20 am and made no reply to the charges.

Garda Dominic O'Halloran voiced witness interference concerns.

He said the injured party does not live in Dublin, but the accused knew her address.

He told the contested bail hearing that gardai responded to the incident early on Saturday, and there was "evidence of a struggle in the apartment". The court heard the woman's phone was "smashed".

Garda O'Halloran said he could clearly see marks and damage done to the injured party who could not attend the hearing because she was in hospital.

The court heard she made a statement alleging the accused "kicked and dragged" her and threatened that "there would be a drug debt placed on her in some manner".

The garda told the court the accused had been in a relationship with the complainant.

However, he agreed with defence counsel Kevin McCrave that he had no bench warrant history.

Pleading for bail, the barrister told the court his client has agreed to have no contact with the complainant.

He suggested the court could impose strict conditions, and his client would not leave Dublin.

In her ruling, Judge Quirke said to refuse bail on the grounds cited by the garda the law obliged the court to be satisfied that witness interference was probable.

However, on the basis of the evidence, the presumption in favour of bail and the offer to put in place strict conditions, she granted bail.

Judge Quirke ordered him to reside at his current address, have no direct or indirect communication with the alleged injured party, and stay away from her and the county where she lives.

She told the accused, yet to indicate a plea, to remain contactable by phone and sign on daily at his local Garda station.

Legal aid was also granted to Mr Considine after the court noted he was unemployed and on social welfare.

Judge Quirke remanded him on a €500 bond to appear at Dun Laoghaire District Court next month and warned that breaching the terms could result in bail revocation.