Man charged over fake bomb scare at bank in Tallaght

An alleged raider has been accused of demanding €50,000 after carrying a fake bomb into a bank in Tallaght, Dublin, which then had to be evacuated, reports Tom Tuite.

Mihail Borcsi (31), of Manorfield, Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath, appeared before Judge Brendan Toale at Dublin District Court on Saturday and has been remanded in custody.

He is charged with attempted robbery of the AIB at Village Crescent, Tallaght, in connection with a bomb scare on November 13.

He also faces two other charges for possessing stolen property, a fleece top and a sweater, allegedly taken from a nearby shop.

Garda Aaron Murphy told the court that the accused replied, “I understand”, when charged.

The officer objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the case. He told Judge Toale that at 2.01 pm on Friday, “The suspect entered through the front carrying a cardboard box, and went to the customer service area and turned around and went to the ATM machines”.

“While at the machines, he wrote a note demanding €50,000 and stating that he was in possession of a bomb,” Garda Murphy told the court.

Judge Toale heard that it was claimed Mr Borcsi asked to talk to staff and, “when introduced to a manager, he requested to speak in private”.

He was brought to a room, placed the box on the counter, said he did not have good English, and showed him the note, it was alleged.

The garda said the manager pressed the panic alarm and the accused fled the scene, throwing the box into a bin on the way out.

The bank was immediately evacuated by staff and gardaí, who cordoned off the area—including the road by the entrance leading to the Village Green—and alerted the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to attend. However, the request was cancelled when the box was inspected and found not to be an explosive device.

Gardaí reviewed CCTV footage allegedly showing the suspect fleeing and setting fire to objects in a nearby car park; while he has not been charged over that incident, further charges are expected to follow.

A description of the man was circulated, and gardaí arrested Mr Borcsi in the area wearing the same clothes seen in the video evidence.

The court heard that Mr Borcsi, who is unemployed and on disability benefits, has no prior criminal convictions.

Defence counsel Kevin McCrave was briefed for the contested bail hearing; however, Mr Borcsi’s instructions changed after the garda commenced giving evidence. The barrister said his client now wished to defer the application.

Mr McCrave said his client has bipolar disorder and has not had medication for a year and a half, adding that he was consenting to going into custody and would make a bail application at a later stage.

Judge Toale remanded him in prison pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions to appear again on Thursday via video link at Cloverhill District Court.

He also acceded to Mr McCrave’s request to direct medical and psychological attention for his client in custody. Legal aid was granted.