Bail request for teen being held for over three months on Cork cherry picker charge

A teenager who has spent more than three months remanded in custody on charges, including one of allowing himself to be carried in a stolen cherry picker which was driven through Cork city on November 2, may be released on bail soon.

Patrick Costin, 18, of Cork Simon Community, is also charged with causing damage to a bollard at Oliver Plunkett Street arising out of his alleged part in the escapade – videos of which were widely shared on social media.

Mr Costin appeared by video link from prison where several times remanded in custody, with consent to High Court bail which he had not yet been able to take up. 

However, solicitor Killian McCarthy said that all of the conditions of bail had now been met and that the defendant could be released from custody.

On the application of Sergeant Gearóid Davis, Judge Liz Healy remanded the teenager in custody with consent to bail until February 17. 

He will be released from custody, subject to all bail conditions being met.

Garda Paul McCarthy said that at 8.20pm on Sunday, November 2, gardaí responded to a report of a theft of scissor lift that was about to be collected and removed from St Patrick’s Quay. 

He said keys were not in the ignition in one of the compartments of the cage so that it could be collected.

“It is alleged that on the quay and on roads and pedestrian footpaths along the centre of Cork city there was dangerous driving. This incident occurred at a time when both road and pedestrian traffic in the city centre was busy and the incident was captured on mobile phone cameras and shared on social media by multiple witnesses at different parts of the route. 

The scissor lift was brought to a stop by gardaí on South Gate Bridge, where arrests were made.