Man accused of pepper spraying another man
A MAN has been accused of pepper-spraying another man as he walked home, calling him a “paedophile” and producing a knife.
Stephen McInerney allegedly approached the man and assaulted him as he was walking on a street in Saggart.
Blanchardstown District Court
Judge David McHugh refused jurisdiction to deal with the case at Blanchardstown District Court.
The accused was remanded on continuing bail in his absence, and the case was adjourned for the further consideration of the DPP.
Mr McInerney, aged 28 with an address at Slade Castle Avenue, Saggart, is charged with assault, assault causing harm and producing pepper spray and a kitchen knife in the course of a dispute in an incident on July 14 last year.
The DPP had consented to the case being dealt with summarily in the district court. Judge McHugh asked Sergeant Sweeney to summarise the proposed evidence so he could consider the issue of jurisdiction.
The sgt said the alleged injured party was walking home alone at Slade Castle Court on the day in question when he was approached by Mr McInerney, who called him a “paedophile”.
It was alleged Mr McInerney used an “incapacitant spray” on the man, pepper-spraying him “straight into the eyes”.
The alleged victim suffered a burning sensation and sought help from a local shop to wash the pepper spray from his eyes, the court heard.
He was afraid to walk home on his own so he called his sister and her husband and waited in the shop.
As they were walking home together 15 minutes later, the accused allegedly approached all three of them. He was very aggressive, had a knife with a 20cm blade, and again called the alleged victim a paedophile, the prosecution would claim.
Sgt Sweeney said the accused then pushed the man’s brother-in-law in the chest area.
Judge McHugh said he was refusing jurisdiction to deal with the case, based on the summary of the allegations.
He adjourned it to February 25 for the DPP’s office “to consider the matter”.
Barrister Alan Delany applied for free legal aid on behalf of the accused, who he said was not working.
This was granted by the judge, with no garda objections.
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