A MAN accused of assault and knife offences in Limerick City last Friday (February 9) has been remanded in custody.
Chinonso Igboanusi (28), of no fixed abode, appeared before Limerick District Court today (Tuesday February 13), charged with two counts of possession of a knife, in which he was allegedly observed exposing the knife in public places, and one count of assault on a female.
All the charges relate to three separate alleged incidents in Limerick City and the Corbally area, just outside the city.
There was no application for bail for Mr Igboanusi before today’s court sitting.
During the brief sitting before Judge Carol Anne Coolican, an application for legal aid was made on the basis that the accused is not currently working.
Judge Coolican granted legal aid and remanded the Mr Igboanusi in custody pending the provision of CCTV evidence being provided to the accused man’s counsel.
At a previous contested bail hearing on Saturday (February 10), at a special sitting of Limerick District Court in Nengagh, Garda Brian Kelly, Mayorstone Garda Station, gave evidence of arresting Mr Igboanusi at Lidl shopping Centre, Westbury, Corbally, on Friday afternoon.
Garda Kelly alleged Mr Igboanusi had acted “extremely erratically” and in an “extremely dangerous” manner in the alleged incident, and told the court that Mr Igboanusi was seen with a “red Swiss army knife” at Colbert Rail and Bus Station in Limerick City around 11am on Friday.
Half an hour later, at 11.30am, Mr Igboanusi allegedly approached a female from behind and “kicked her into her back” as she and a friend were walking along Athlunkard Street, near Corbally, Garda Kelly told the court.
Garda Kelly said that, at approximately 12.20pm on the day, Gardaí received a call that a man, who Garda Kelly told the court matched Mr Igboanusi’s description, was “wearing a balaclava … and openly showing a silver Stanley knife and walking towards the Shannon Banks area of Corbally”.
Garda Kelly said that when Gardaí arrived on the scene, a male wearing a backpack on his back “ran from Gardaí” and entered a Lidl supermarket in Westbury, Corbally.
Garda Kelly said when he arrested Mr Igboanusi in the shop, he was in possession of a “red Swiss army knife“ as well as a “black ski-mask”.
He said that Mr Igboanusi’s was wearing clothing that matched the clothing of the man reportedly seen with a knife in Colbert Station and the man who allegedly assaulted the female on Athlunkard Street in Limerick City earlier that morning.
The court heard on Saturday that Mr Igboanusi did not reply when he was charged with the three offences at Henry Street Garda Station.
Mr Igboanusi was today remanded in custody to appear again before Limerick District Court on Friday (February 16).
