Six in court after ramming incident

Six young people appeared before Galway District Court yesterday in connection with the ramming of a vending machine at a roadside…

Six young people appeared before Galway District Court yesterday in connection with the ramming of a vending machine at a roadside restaurant in Oranmore yesterday.

The group, which included three 16-year-olds and a 14-year- old, were arrested at 2.20 a.m. yesterday at Station Road in Oranmore after the car in which they were travelling rammed a beverage-vending machine at Mother Hubbard's restaurant.

Paul Coyle from Donaghmede in Dublin was charged with assaulting two gardaí during the ensuing fracas and with the assault of a nurse at University College Hospital Galway where he was taken for treatment.

Insp Tony O'Donnell applied to have Coyle remanded in custody on the basis that gardaí believed he would commit further crimes if released on bail.

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The inspector also applied to have co-defendant Francis Breslin remanded in custody as he had not had the opportunity to check out the defendant's name and address and was not sure he had given his proper name.

Public order charges of being drunk in public and provoking a breach of the peace were dismissed against a male 16-year-old after Judge John Garavan said there was not enough evidence to convict him.

A 16-year-old female from Co Meath was convicted and fined €12 each on the same public order offences. Another 16-year-old male was remanded in custody to appear before the court on July 1st.

Another minor, aged 14, was released on bail to appear before the court again on Monday.

Judge Garavan turned down an application for bail for Breslin and Coyle, made by a defence solicitor, Mr Adrian MacLynn. He remanded them both in custody to appear before Galway District Court on July 1st.

Michelle McDonagh

Michelle McDonagh

Michelle McDonagh, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about health and family