Two men have been remanded in custody charged in connection with an incident in which three people were attacked with a crowbar after an apartment was broken into in Cork.
Aidan Cullinane (32), from St Joseph’s Park, The Lough, Cork, and Gerard Quinlan (41), formerly of Gillabbey Mews, Connaught Avenue, Cork, were each charged with four offences arising out of the incident when they appeared before Cork District Court on Wednesday.
They are accused of burglary at an apartment at Millerd Street and with assault causing harm to the three people living there, two women and a man from China, during the incident. Det Garda Brian Barron of the Bridewell Garda Station told the court that neither man made any reply to the four charges against them after caution.
He said gardaí were objecting to bail because of the seriousness of the charges, with the burglary charge carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years, and the strength of the evidence against the two accused.
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“It is alleged that at 5.45am on April 17th, Aidan Cullinane and Gerard Quinlan entered a dwelling house at Millerd Street, Cork city, as intruders. They were not known to the people living there – three occupants are Chinese nationals. They were asleep at their home,” he said.
He said the State would allege the intruders burst into two upstairs bedrooms simultaneously, demanding cash and mobile phones from the three victims, who were terrified after being woken up and handed over €200 and a laptop.
Det Garda Barron said the three residents complied fully with the men’s demands but were then subjected to “a vicious and sustained assault at the hands of Aidan Cullinane and Gerard Quinlan”. He said this went on for seven minutes and the assailants repeatedly beat the three injured parties with a crowbar even after they had offered no resistance.
He said a man (22) suffered a 7cm laceration to his forehead and other injuries, a woman (26) suffered a 4cm laceration to her scalp and three broken ribs, and a woman (22) required surgery and the insertion of wire to stabilise a hand injury.
Det Garda Barron said gardaí had harvested a large amount of CCTV footage, which showed the accused men leaving the scene and making their way to Mr Cullinane’s home.
He said gardaí were also objecting to bail on the grounds that both accused had significant drug addiction issues and he feared they would commit further crimes to feed their habits, which could pose safety issues for the people of Cork if they were bailed.
Frank Buttimer, solicitor for Mr Cullinane, and William Bullman BL, for Mr Quinlan, asked Det Garda Barron gardaí whether there were any conditions he would accept to allow their clients to take up bail. Det Garda Barron said there were none.
Judge Philip O’Leary said he was refusing bail and remanded the men in custody to appear again on October 2nd by video link.
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