LAST UPDATE | 22 Nov 2022

TWO MEN HAVE been held in custody until they lodge bail money after they were charged with violent disorder and assaults on two gardaí in Ballyfermot in Dublin.

A male and female officer were hospitalised after responding to a public order incident outside a pub on Ballyfermot Road in the early hours of Monday. Video footage of the incident was widely shared on social media.

Gardaí arrested three men and one woman during the investigation.

Grandfather and father of four Anthony Grogan, 54, Cherry Orchard Park and pest control worker Steven Byrne, 35, Ballyfermot Avenue, Ballyfermot, Dublin, were charged on Monday night with three offences.

They are accused of assaulting the two officers and engaging in violent disorder during the incident.

The offences can, on conviction, result in maximum sentences of five and 10 years.

They appeared before Judge Paula Murphy at Dublin District Court today. 

Garda Philip Nash and Conor Dooley told the court each man had no reply to the charges. Gardaí objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and fears they would abscond.

Garda Nash told a contested bail hearing that the “life-altering incident” was captured on CCTV.

However, he agreed with defence solicitor David Bassett that there were no fears his client, Mr Grogan, would interfere with the Garda witnesses, and he had no bench warrant history.

Pleading for bail, Mr Bassett submitted that his client had ties to the community, lived with his family, and there was “no chance” of absconding.

Judge Murphy said Mr Grogan faced serious charges but was entitled to the presumption of innocence and bail.

The court granted legal aid to Mr Grogan, who is unemployed.

Judge Murphy set bail in his bond of €10,000, of which half must be lodged, and she ordered a €5,000 independent surety be approved.

On taking up bail, he must sign on daily at a Garda station, obey an 11 pm – 6 am curfew, remain contactable by mobile phone, surrender his passport and not apply for new travel documents, and not leave the jurisdiction.

Judge Murphy remanded him in custody with consent to bail to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 29 November. 

Garda Dooley voiced concerns that Mr Byrne had previously lived in Australia.

However, solicitor Colleen Gildernew explained that the father of three had worked there but returned to Ireland in 2018 to rear his family.

Ms Gildernew told the court that when questioned by gardaí, her client had mentioned in a general conversation about his time in Australia, but he did not threaten to leave the country.

The solicitor added that Mr Byrne would abide by conditions and had a supportive family.

Judge Murphy granted him legal aid and set his bail at €6,000, of which he must lodge €3,000. She said he needed an independent surety of €10,000 with half to be paid.

Then he would have to abide by the same terms as Mr Grogan and have no contact with him.

He was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear at Cloverhill District Court tomorrow. They have yet to indicate how they will plead, and the court heard directions from the DPP were not yet available.

A woman in her 50s was released from garda custody on Monday and is scheduled to face court later.

A third man aged in his 40s was charged this evening in connection to the investigation and is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice tomorrow morning.

The two officers have also been released from hospital.