Tom Tuite
A 43-year-old man, who said he put excrement on a Dublin garda station cell as a protest following his arrest, has been remanded in custody.
Damien Phillips, with an address at a hostel on Morningstar Avenue, Dublin 7, was arrested on Friday evening after a district court bench warrant was issued for him.
He appeared at Dublin District Court on Saturday charged with criminal damage to a cell at Swords garda station following his arrest.
Garda Evan Matthews told Judge Marie Quirke that in reply to the charge the accused said: “I had to defecate and it went on the wall, I decided I was going on a protest, I didn’t damage anything.”
The Garda objected to bail on the grounds Mr Phillips would not turn up to his court hearing if he were released.
He said the accused had been previously ordered by a court to stay out of the Swords area, but he had been living there recently, in a tent. He was also arrested there on Friday.
The garda said he checked his hostel and was told the man had not been there for the past fortnight.
Judge Quirke remanded him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.
She acceded to a request from defence solicitor Tracy Horan to grant legal aid an order for disclosure of prosecution evidence. He has not yet indicated how he will plead.
