A JUDGE has ordered the arrest of a 36-year-old man who was allegedly armed with a knife and told gardaí he intended to cut off a hostel worker’s head.

Eoin Dempsey, who is of no fixed abode, was ordered by Judge Bryan Smyth to appear again at Dublin District Court today. However, he failed to appear in court and Judge Smyth issued a warrant for his arrest.

The case was listed directions from the Director Public Prosecutions (DPP) to be given.

He faces a charge for production of a knife at Isaac’s hostel, Frenchman’s Lane, D.1 following a row about getting a room during the alleged incident in August last year.

At a prior bail hearing, Garda Orla Cashell had said it was alleged the accused went to the hostel and asked for a room for people who were not drug users or a single room.

He was told that was not possible and he engaged in a struggle with staff, it was claimed.

The court heard he left but returned armed with a Stanley knife. Staff and residents hid behind a door which he kicked.

He left as gardaí were called but they spotted a man matching his description in the Talbot Street area. It was alleged he produced the Stanley knife.

There was a short foot chase and had to be pepper-sprayed by gardaí. Garda Cashell agreed with the defence that Dempsey suffered an arm injury during his arrest.

Her colleague had to use force, with his baton, to get him to the knife, she had said. She said that he had admitted that a head injury he sustained happened earlier during an incident with a shop security guard.

Garda Cashell alleged the accused said he had “intended to go back to cause serious harm to a member of staff namely slitting his throat and cutting his head off”.

Directions from the DPP need to be obtained in relation to further charges, the garda said.

He has been ordered to stay away from the Dublin 1 area, the hostel and its staff, be of good behaviour and not be in possession of knives.

He had to sign on daily at a garda station and be contactable on his mobile phone. Dempsey made no reply to the charge and has not yet indicated how he will plead.