A 51-YEAR-old construction worker has been refused bail after he was accused of threatening to give gardai the coronavirus before attempting to bite and spit at them following his arrest in Dublin.

Radu Timoc, with an address at Harrington Street in Dublin 8, was arrested yesterday evening for suspected drink-driving.

He was charged with careless driving, failing to give gardai a breath specimen, resisting arrest, making threats to kill or cause serious harm to a Garda and a Garda sergeant, and violent behaviour at Irishtown Garda station.

Garda Ruth Finnegan told Judge John Cheatle at Dublin District Court that Timoc made no reply when charged.

She objected to bail and told the court the threat charge could carry a maximum 10-year sentence.

She said Timoc was driving erratically at Merrion Square north and she observed him mount a kerb as he took a left turn.

Garda Finnegan said Timoc swerved across two lanes and narrowly avoided a cyclist.

She signalled him to stop but after he halted his car “jolted forward again”.

The garda patrol car parked in front of him and he became agitated, the court heard.

It was alleged he refused to be breathalysed and “threatened gardai that he had coronavirus and was in the Romanian mafia”.

The court heard he was originally from Romania but has lived in Ireland for the past 15 years.

She alleged Timoc tried to spit and bite gardai and as a result she believed he was a danger to members of An Garda Siochana and the public.

She did not agree with defence solicitor Eoin Lysaght that it was a case he got carried away. The solicitor said his client had too much to drink and had not bitten or spat at them.

Garda Finnegan replied that the reason was Timoc was restrained and held on the ground, however, he did spit on the ground, she added.

She agreed he was a lot quieter now and the court heard he was fully employed, had no prior convictions or history of warrants.

She reiterated her concern he was a risk to gardai and the public.

Pleading for bail, Lysaght said his client should not have been driving and should have complied with gardai.

The solicitor said Timoc may have misunderstood what the garda was saying.

Denying bail, Judge Cheatle said, “Unfortunately due to the current crisis I cannot not take the risk that he would make good on his threat to bite or spit at members of An Garda Siochana or the public if he finds himself in similar circumstances.”

Timoc was granted legal aid and remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.