Man (46) faces five charges for burglary

A MAN in his 40s who is alleged to have attacked a former partner and stolen €10,000 worth of school tracksuits has been refused bail following the arrest of three men in Cloonmore Park on Saturday.

46-year-old Clive Sweeney, with addresses at Kilmartin Avenue and Drumcairn Avenue, faces five burglary charges and one count of assault causing harm and was refused bail.

43-year-old Jonathan Byrne, of no fixed abode, is accused of stealing a €40,000 Range Rover and was also refused bail, while 24-year-old Karl Smullen of Rossfield Park was granted bail, subject to conditions.

The three men were without legal representation because of the ongoing solicitors’ strike over criminal legal aid, as stated by Judge Alan Mitchell.

Mr Sweeney is accused of forcing his way into his former partner’s home on Saturday, August 8 after she opened the door.

Garda Brian Law alleged that abuse was shouted at the woman, as well as punches thrown and a bite.

Mr Sweeney also faces five burglary charges, including a break-in at St Aidan’s Community School on Thursday, September 10, with new tracksuits allegedly stolen.

Mr Byrne faces six charges, including robbery, producing a weapon, theft, possession of stolen property and trespassing.

He is accused of stealing a €40k Range Rover from Watergate, Old Bawn and was refused bail after the court heard allegations that a box-cutter knife was produced

during a robbery at Glenview Post Office – a 79-year-old man was at the till.

Garda Law said high-quality CCTV formed part of the evidence in the operation and that Mr Smullen had been identified on footage relating to incidents on the weekend of Friday, August 21 involving a blue Volkswagen Passat, which he admitted to driving.

The 24-year-old was described as “very cooperative” after his arrest and faces six charges relating to incidents at Hale Vaping in Citywest Shopping Centre between Wednesday, August 19 and Sunday, August 23 and Supervalu Knocklyon on Saturday, May 9.

However, concerns were raised about the alleged addiction issues of all three accused.

Mr Sweeney and Mr Byrne were remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court by video link on Friday, September 25.

Mr Smullen must follow a curfew between 10pm and 6am and stay away from Rossfield Park, per his bail, and is expected to return to court in six weeks.