A 22-year-old student has appeared in court charged with causing serious alarm or distress to a female public representative.
Taimoor Abid, with an address at Caiseal Ur, Bóthar Stíofáin, Knocknacarra, Galway, appeared before a special sitting of Galway District Court on Friday.
The charge against the accused alleges that on dates between April 6th and April 7th, at a location in the west of Ireland, Mr Abid did without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, by his alleged acts intentionally or recklessly, cause a woman serious harm or distress that had a substantial adverse impact on her usual activities, and that a reasonable person would realise that the acts would cause the other to fear that violence would be used against her or another person connected to her, or serious alarm or distress.
Judge Gerard Furlong said he understood there may be some interest in the case. He pointed out that no reference should be made to the identity of the alleged victim or any material that might give rise to the identification of the alleged victim “at this point in time”.
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Det Garda Mark Kelly told the court he arrested Mr Abid at 6.38pm on June 6th. He said the accused made no reply to the single charge after caution.
Defence solicitor Catherine McDarby said bail conditions had been agreed with the State, with the exception of one. She told the court her client is planning to go on a holiday with his mother to Kuwait and would require his passport to do so.
Ms McDarby said her client would surrender his passport and any other travel documents when he returned to Ireland. She said Mr Abid is an Irish citizen and third-year university student, and “all his ties” are in Ireland.
“His whole life is here, their whole lives are here,” she added.
Det Garda Kelly objected to the accused being given his passport to go on holiday due to what he said was the “seriousness of the charge”. He said he believed the accused to be a flight risk.
Ms McDarby said the tickets were booked before her client’s arrest.
Judge Furlong said he would not vary the bail conditions and the accused must surrender his passport. He noted the dates of the alleged offences precede the booking “by far”.
The judge told the accused that bail in all cases is subject to two conditions: an accused person must turn up for every court date until the matter is completed, and an accused person must remain of good behaviour.
He said in this case, the accused must also reside at his given address, observe a curfew, not have any contact with the alleged injured party or any associated parties, sign on three times a week, and surrender his passport within 24 hours.
Judge Furlong also granted Ms McDarby’s application for legal aid.
Mr Abid was remanded on bail to appear again in court on July 22nd.
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