TWO ENGLISH men who were on a backpacking trip around Ireland have been remanded in custody after they appeared before a special sitting of Wexford District Court on Saturday night charged in connection with two robberies in Wexford town. Three other people also appeared at the same court sitting arising from the Garda investigation into the robberies.
Luke Paul Masterson (24) and Ashley Jackson (20) are both charged with robbing Simon Stafford of €600 at Boyle Sports, The Faythe, Maudlintown, last Tuesday, December 16th, and robbing Annette Furlong of €6,577 at Doyle's Londis, Ferndale, two days later.
Both men were arrested last Thursday afternoon at 17 Ard Na Dara, Clonard, Wexford, and detained for questioning. They were charged on Saturday evening. Neither man made any reply to the charges.
Insp Pat McDonald told Judge Gerard Furlong that gardaí were seeking to have Mr Masterson, of The Moorings, Prince Regents Lane, Custom House East, London, remanded in custody.
He said the charges were very serious and that gardaíwere awaiting confirmation of Mr Masterson's identification.
Insp McDonald said there was "a very strong likelihood" that if Mr Masterson was given bail he would not return to stand trial. He said Mr Masterson arrived in Ireland on December 12th.
Garda Alan Byrne said Mr Masterson had given his address as 17 Ard Na Dara, Clonard, where he was arrested, but this was "in no way" a permanent home for the defendant. The garda said Mr Masterson and Mr Jackson came to stay in the house "following a chance meeting with the owner in a pub in Wexford and he offered them accommodation for a few days".
Mr Masterson, giving evidence during his bail application, said he and Mr Jackson were planning to backpack around the coast for a few months and ended up staying at the house at Ard Na Dara following "a chance encounter" in a Wexford pub. He said they planned to stay there indefinitely.
Judge Furlong described Mr Masterson as "a total flight risk" and expressed concerns about his lack of photo ID. He remanded both him and Mr Jackson, of Hunters Hall Road, Dagenham, Essex, in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court tomorrow morning.
Also before the court was Patrick O'Connor (39), of 17 Ard Na Dara, Clonard, who was charged with possession of a Remington Ringmaster single barrel shotgun at his home on Thursday, December 18th.
He was further charged with possession of a bag containing 37 shotgun cartridges and a cartridge belt, t Ard Na Slaine, Newtown, on a date unknown between December 1st and December 18th.
Garda David Beale said that in relation to the charge of possession of the shotgun, Mr O'Connor replied: "It wasn't mine, it never was mine." In relation to the second charge, he said: "I got them out of the house."
Judge Furlong heard that Mr O'Connor was already on bail in relation to two separate matters, at Enniscorthy District Court on May 14th last and at Wexford District court on November 18th last.
He remanded Mr O'Connor in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court tomorrow.
Mary Murray (37), Bishopswater, and John Morris (40), Liam Mellows Park, also appeared before the court.
Ms Murray, a mother-of-two, was charged with theft at Doyle's Londis, Ferndale, on Thursday, December 18th, while Mr Morris was charged with possession of a shotgun.
Both were remanded on bail to appear before Wexford District Court on January 5th.