A YOUTH charged with the murder of two Polish men was told by a High Court judge yesterday he was at the “last chance saloon” in relation to remaining on bail pending his trial.
Mr Justice John Edwards made the remark when deciding that David Curran (18), with addresses at Lissadel Green, Drimnagh, and Deansrath Avenue, Clondalkin, both Dublin, can remain on bail providing he engages with a specialised service dealing with self-harm. The judge had earlier been told Mr Curran was a suicide risk.
Mr Curran is charged with murdering Pawel Kalite (29) and Marius Szwajkos (27) at Benbulben Road in Drimnagh on February 23rd last.
Last Tuesday, the State applied to revoke his bail after gardaí found him in an intoxicated state on July 4th last in school grounds in Drimnagh just as a curfew he had been put under was about to start. Part of his original bail conditions were that he was to stay out of Dublin 12 and to observe a 10pm to 7am curfew in a sober state.
The court heard that, when approached by a garda, Mr Curran ran away but was pursued by the garda, caught and arrested. Following his arrest, he admitted he had taken six ecstasy tablets and was later taken to hospital.
His lawyer argued the taking of ecstasy was an attempted suicide, and as a result a community worker intervened and Mr Curran saw a psychiatrist last Wednesday.
Yesterday, a lawyer for the DPP told the judge the psychiatrist’s report indicated Mr Curran had no mental illness and no psychosis pointing towards suicide.
However, Mr Justice Edwards, after reading the psychiatrist’s report and a report of the community worker, said he was satisfied the particular incident was a genuine suicide attempt stemming from the “extreme pressure” on Mr Curran relating to the case.
The judge said he was prepared to “cut him a bit of slack” on the basis that Mr Curran attends a centre for the prevention of self-harm and suicide. He remanded him on his existing bail terms to next Wednesday when the court will be informed of what progress there has been in getting him a place in the centre.