‘Dubai two’ pleading not guilty to breaking Covid quarantine laws
Tom Tuite
Two Dublin women who failed to block their trial for refusing to enter into mandatory hotel quarantine after returning from a trip to Dubai during the covid pandemic are pleading not guilty, a court has heard.
Mother-of-two Kirstie McGrath, 33, with an address at St Anthony's Road, Dublin 8 and Niamh Mulreany, 28, a mum of one from Scarlett Row, Essex Street West, Dublin 2, were both arrested on the afternoon of April 2nd, 2021, at Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport.
The two friends had gone to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where they claimed they intended to undergo cosmetic surgery but ultimately did not have the procedure.
However, on return to Ireland, they were charged with breaching section 38 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2021, which can result in fines of up to €2,000 and a month in jail.
The law had been temporarily in force at the time and aimed to halt the spread of Covid-19.
A district court bail hearing on April 3rd, 2021, was told they went abroad for breast enhancement surgery, which the then presiding judge remarked was colloquially known as a "boob job," but it later emerged they did not get the procedure.
In a bid to halt the criminal proceedings, their lawyers had brought a legal challenge over the constitutionality of the legislation surrounding the mandatory hotel quarantine system.
It went all the way to the Supreme Court, which dismissed their action in September.
On Monday, the criminal proceedings resumed at Dublin District Court, but the defendants did not have to attend.
The court's presenter, Garda Sergeant Derek Spain, agreed that the case had been going on for a long time and described it as a "saga" that had awaited the Supreme Court's decision.
Their defence solicitor, Michael French, told Judge Treasa Kelly that his clients were pleading not guilty and seeking a hearing date.
Judge Kelly noted they would contest the case and ordered the disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence. The women's non-jury district court trial was scheduled for February 10 next.
At their first appearance almost four years ago, the court heard gardai allegedly tried explaining the new regulations for two hours to the women who claimed they did not know about the law.
Bail was initially set at €2,800, and they were remanded in custody, but the High Court changed the terms a day later.
It removed the requirement for sureties and money to be lodged and allowed them to go straight to the quarantine hotel for ten days before going home.
The defence had said at their first hearing that the two women deny the charges. They also provided three negative PCR tests the week before their return.
