A MAN ACCUSED of “brandishing” a sword as pupils began leaving a Dublin primary school has been refused bail.

Shane Farrelly, 25, from Inchicore, but who had an address at Gardiner Street, in Dublin city-centre, was charged with possessing a weapon in connection with an incident on Thursday at Emmet Crescent, D8.

The father-of-three appeared before Judge Michele Finan at Dublin District Court today when Garda McElhone objected to bail.

He alleged Farrelly was with four other males when he “produced a sword which he had previously hidden under a nearby car”.

The garda claimed CCTV captured the accused brandishing the sword after retrieving it from under the car.

It was alleged the accused ran with two others to the Our Lady of Lourdes primary school gates and then went to the rear of the school but fled when gardaí were alerted. He said the incident was in the environs of a primary school as pupils began to leave.

Garda McElhone said that the sword was seized at an address in Dublin 2, where the accused was arrested.

Farrelly applied for bail.

His solicitor, Darren Gray, disagreed with the garda that the case would go to the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.

The solicitor said that cases with this charge alone were kept in the District Court with a maximum 12-month sentence.

However, the officer cited the nature of this offence. Only still images, not the full video of the incident, were brought to the bail hearing.

The garda said he thought the case would likely go to the higher level with other charges.
He agreed that the accused had given gardaí an account that he had seen a blade and was “concerned because it was beside a school, so he sought to move it”.

But, the garda said the sword was initially in a sheath, but the accused “later on, removed it and brandished it”.

Farrelly’s partner was in court, and the defence said the accused played an active role in his family’s life and would obey strict conditions, including a curfew and staying away from the area where the incident allegedly occurred.

However, Judge Finan refused bail and remanded the man, who became upset at the end of the hearing, in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on October 31.

Legal aid was granted, and the judge directed medical attention for him in custody after noting his mental health was suffering following a recent family bereavement.

Co-defendant Jeffrey Crowley, 28, of Turvey Avenue, Inchicore, D8, was accused of having a sharply pointed blade as a weapon at nearby Vincent Street Street West. He deferred his bail application and was remanded in custody to appear again on Tuesday.