A man who was seriously injured by a Garda marksman following a stand-off at a house in Gort, Co Galway, earlier this month has appeared in court charged with two firearm offences.
At Ennis District Court yesterday, Anthony Burke (40), Crowe Street, Gort, appeared after being charged with discharging a firearm on October 8th and 9th at Crowe Street and being reckless as to whether any person was injured or not, contrary to section 8 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.
Mr Burke was also charged with having in his possession on October 9th a firearm as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he did not have it in his possession for a lawful purpose, contrary to the Firearms Act.
Mr Burke, the father of a five-month-old baby, was arrested by gardaí on Wednesday as he left University College Hospital, Galway, where he had been recovering from a bullet wound to his shoulder/chest area.
Mr Burke was shot by a Garda marksman from the Emergency Response Unit as he emerged from his home in Gort at the end of the stand-off on October 9th.
He spent 16 days in hospital recuperating from his injury and on his release was taken to Ennis Garda station. He was detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and could be held for up to 72 hours.
During the five-minute hearing yesterday, Insp Kevin Dolan said that he arrested and charged Mr Burke with the alleged offences at 11.27pm at Ennis Garda station on Thursday night. After he was cautioned, the inspector said, Mr Burke replied: "Nothing to say at this time."
Judge Joseph Mangan granted Mr Burke legal aid and remanded him on bail to reappear before Ennis District Court next Friday.
