Woman and man charged in relation to bomb at border remanded in custody

By Rebecca Black and Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

A law student and an employee at a Dublin museum charged in relation to a bomb intercepted in a car near the border have been remanded in custody.

Isobella Perrie Sullivan, 25, of Abbeylands Park, Clane, Co Kildare, appeared wearing a white T-shirt with the logo “faith over fear” via videolink from the Dochas Centre (female prison) in Dublin before Monaghan District Court on Monday.

She was charged with possession of explosives at a special sitting of Trim District Court in Co Meath on Friday after a bomb was intercepted in a car near the Irish border.

Her defence solicitor said she had been asked to take a bag to the north and had not been aware what was in it, adding that she had been “manipulated”.

She was then granted bail with a host of conditions which included a €15,000-independent surety, that she surrenders her passport, stays at an address approved by gardaí with a curfew of 9pm to 7am, has a mobile phone available 24 hours a day and signs in each day to Naas garda station.

Gardaí also requested another condition, that she not have any contact with anyone in the Saoradh political party or the New IRA.

On Monday at Monaghan District Court, Judge Raymond Finnegan heard that her defence lawyer was not present in court and said she would be remanded with consent to bail.

Ms Perrie Sullivan said to the judge: “I thought I was getting out today with bail.”

The judge said that he had not received an application to approve the surety.

A Garda officer told the court they were still making inquiries in terms of the surety.

She will next appear before Monaghan District Court on August 7th.

Simon O’Donovan, 44, with an address at Sperrin Road in Drimnagh, appeared before the Special Criminal Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin at the weekend, charged with possession of an explosive substance at St Laurence’s Road in Chapelizod on Wednesday July 22nd.

Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law told the court during that appearance that he had not taken instructions from O’Donovan because of a solicitors’ strike over changes to criminal legal aid fees.

On Monday, O’Donovan appeared before the non-jury court again, freshly-shaved and wearing a Dublin GAA polo neck T-shirt.

O’Donovan, an employee at the Collins Barracks museum, asked Judge Patrick McGrath if the solicitor’s strike was still on, to which the judge replied that it was, but there were other solicitors representing people in court on Monday.

A representative for the director of public prosecutions (DPP) told the court that they had not received any correspondence from anyone in relation to O’Donovan.

The judge told O’Donovan that he was in custody, his bail application to the High Court on Saturday was refused, and the book of evidence needs to be served to him on the next court date.

He then asked him if he had been in contact with his solicitor.

“Not since the last day,” Mr O’Donovan replied.

The judge said: “Not surprising, but… We will simply remand the matter to October 5 for service of book of evidence.”

He said O’Donovan was remanded in custody until that date and that it was “in your interest” to have a solicitor.

He said he could only apply for bail if there was a change in circumstances and said another judge “may well” consider him having legal representation as a change of circumstances.

The representative for the DPP said it would have “no difficulty in that regard” if he wanted to make another application for bail before the Special Criminal Court or the High Court.

The judge clarified this to O’Donovan and repeated that it would be “in your interest to make that application with a solicitor”.

“I’d like to make an application for bail,” Mr O’Donovan replied.

“When?” the judge asked.

“At the closest possible chance,” Mr O’Donovan said.

The judge said his solicitor had not attended the court “for whatever reason” and that it was “clearly in your interest” to be represented.

He asked him to contact a solicitor to consider any further application he may make.

The representative for the DPP said that they would give O’Donovan a copy of An Garda Síochána’s objections to bail and asked that they be dealt with ahead of any potential bail hearing.

Mr O’Donovan was remanded in custody until October 5th.

The representative for the DPP said they would notify Mackin of Monday’s proceedings.