A MAN charged with being involved in a row on O’Connell Street on Friday night last (February 9), in which it is alleged a pregnant woman was attacked with a Stanley knife, could not appear in court today (Tuesday) because of injuries he sustained as a result of the alleged incident.
Pierce Doran (26), of 15 Altimera Court, Thomondgate, was using crutches when he appeared at a special sitting of Nenagh District Court on Sunday, where his solicitor said that he has suffered a wound to his leg.
He had been remanded in custody after Judge Elizabeth McGrath refused a bail application on his behalf.
Mr Doran was due to appear before Limerick District Court in Mulgrave Street this morning (Tuesday), but Judge Carol Anne Coolican was told he had to be returned to hospital for treatment.
The judge further remanded Mr Doran to appear before the court on February 27.
The alleged violent incident, which occurred outside a fast food restaurant on O’Connell Street in Limerick City on Friday last, was filmed on several camera phones and CCTV and widely shared across social media, the court on Sunday heard.
Two Limerick city men were arrested, charged, and brought before a special sitting of Limerick District Court in Nenagh.
Mr Doran and Wayne Kennedy were both brought before Judge Elizabeth McGrath on charges related to a number of alleged incidents, the most recent taking place on Friday night last.
Individual bail applications were made for both men and both were refused.
Wayne Kennedy (39), of 2 Catherine Street, was also remanded to appear before the same court today, but Sergeant Aishling O’Neill told Judge Coolican that directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions are being awaited. He too was further remanded February 27.
Garda Ryan Harkin said in the witness box during the Sunday bail hearing that the incident was clearly captured on a number of cameras and widely shared aross social media.
It is alleged, Garda Harkin said, that the footage will show Mr Kennedy walking on O’Connell Street in Limerick City at 9.30pm on Friday evening last with a woman and another man, when the other man was approached by Mr Doran and an argument ensued in which Mr Kennedy became involved.
The Garda said that it will be alleged that Mr Doran produced a Stanley knife, inflicting a wound to the back of Mr Kennedy’s neck, after which Mr Doran was knocked to the ground and a violent exchange took place, involving all three men.
The court heard Mr Doran suffered serious wounds to his leg and his face in the incident.
When Mr Doran was on the ground, the court heard, CCTV footage captured a woman kicking him and, it is alleged, Mr Doran getting back to his feet and striking out at her face and body with the Stanley knife.
“Fortunately,” Garda Harkin said, “it appears the blade section of the knife came loose of the handle and Gardaí found this on the ground near the handle section at the scene”.
The Garda agreed that initially there could be a case for Mr Kennedy’s defence to say he was acting in self defence, “but he had ample opportunity to leave the scene”.
Garda Harkin said that the entire incident, which was responded to by the Armed Response Unit, lasted around 10 minutes and was witnessed by about 40 members of the public, some of whom fled in fright.
The Garda witnesses agreed that at that time that no fingerprint evidence had been produced from the knife recovered at the scene.
