A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the well-known chef and restaurateur Mr Conrad Gallagher after he failed to turn up for his trial for alleged art theft.
Det Garda Angela Twyford told Judge Michael White that Mr Gallagher was in court on May 29th when his trial date was fixed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Lawyers for Mr Gallagher were also in court last Friday applying to have his trial adjourned because he had married an American woman in New York last month and was also applying for US citizenship.
Judge Elizabeth Dunne refused the application because Mr Gallagher would have known all this when his trial date was fixed.
"If my memory serves me correctly, this trial date was fixed in May and unless Mr Gallagher got married on the strength of a fleeting glance across a room, then he would have known about his wedding at that point.
"Nothing was said to me," she said. "If he wants to treat the courts with that kind of attitude, so be it. He has already received more than enough leeway in this matter. Anything further that has to be said on his behalf can be said in front of the trial judge on Tuesday morning.
"I'm not vacating the trial," she concluded.
Mr Gallagher's trial was fixed in May after the court heard he would be pleading not guilty.
Yesterday morning in court, Judge White issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr Gallagher after waiting for an hour for him to turn up. He concluded that there was no doubt that the chef was aware of his court appearance.
He also issued a certificate that he was in breach of his bail conditions. Mr Gallagher, formerly of Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Co Dublin is facing charges in relation to three paintings which he allegedly sold in December 2000.
The paintings were claimed to be the property of the Fitzwilliam Hotel, St Stephen's Green, Dublin, which was the location of Mr Gallagher's Peacock Alley Restaurant.
Before trying to have his trial adjourned last week at a previous court sitting, counsel for Mr Gallagher said the accused was in New York and unfit to travel. Judge Dunne was told then that Mr Gallagher had a ticket to return from New York a number of weeks before but didn't do so on foot of medical advice.
There was a report in court.
At the time Ms Melanie Greally,prosecuting, said the report was unsatisfactory but the State was willing to consent to the adjournment so that Mr Gallagher's position could be clarified.
Mr Gallagher later appeared in court, along with his solicitor, Mr Gerard Keane, to hear his trial date being fixed by Judge Dunne and was remanded on continuing bail.