Welsh farmer released on bail after Cork pub assault charge

A stag weekend in Cork came with a ‘hangover’ in Cork District Court for a 35-year-old Welsh farmer who was arrested for assaulting another man at Reardens in Cork and on Monday he was trying to get out on bail to look after his 200 cattle and 450 sheep back in Pembrokeshire.

Alun George, 35, of Llanferran, St Nicholas, Goodwick, Wales, was arrested by Garda Kevin O’Neill and charged with assault causing harm to another man at Reardens on Washington Street, Cork, shortly before midnight on Saturday, February 24.

It was alleged that the injured party had some teeth dislodged.

Sergeant Pat Lyons said there was an objection to bail, based primarily on concerns about the accused returning from Wales to meet the case if granted bail.

Mr George told gardaí that he and his friends had tickets to return to Wales by ferry later on Monday.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, suggested that it was a suitable case for bail and that the defendant was never in any kind of trouble and would return from Wales to Cork to meet the case. 

He argued that if bail was refused the accused could find himself in custody for months waiting for the case to be heard.

“This is a cooperative, contrite individual who did not set out to cause trouble. He has no previous convictions here and nothing in Wales,” he said.

Regarding any possibility that Mr George would not be free to look after his farm, the solicitor said it would be “a bit of a disaster”.

Sgt Lyons said in objecting to bail that the gardaí were concerned with the injured party.

Mr Buttimer addressed the garda concern that the accused might not turn up in court if granted bail: “The guards have an easy remedy of extradition, it is not Timbuktu.” 

Judge Mary Dorgan said she would grant bail in the sum of €5,000, €1,000 cash to be lodged by Mr George. Three friends of the accused who remained in Cork with him came forward as independent sureties, each of them in the sum of €2,500, of which €500 had to be lodged.

Judge Dorgan adjourned the case until May 27 with Mr George remanded on bail on those terms. 

The lengthy adjournment was to allow time for a medical report on the injured party and the related issue of directions in the case from the Director of Public Prosecutions.