Bandon man accused of assaulting vulnerable neighbour is refused bail

A BANDON man who is alleged to have entered a neighbour’s house last month, and assaulting a vulnerable man there as well as damaging property, has been denied bail.

Joseph Kelly of 29 Ardan Lower, Bandon appeared in custody at Bandon District Court seeking to be released on bail while facing charges of assault, trespass, and criminal damage.

Sgt Kevin Heffernan told Judge James McNulty that the alleged incident took place on August 27th last when the accused entered a neighbour’s house after taking alcohol and cocaine.

‘There was a vulnerable male in the house whom he didn’t know and the accused is alleged to have chased him upstairs and in an unprovoked attack beat him.

‘He suffered facial cuts and bruises to his body, black eyes and there was a lot of damage caused to the property,’ said Sgt Heffernan.

The court heard that the accused was granted bail after appearing at Mallow District Court the following day. One of the conditions attached to his release on bail was to stay out of Bandon.

However, due to difficulties in securing accommodation outside Bandon, Mr Kelly went into custody voluntarily after just a few days.

Solicitor Myra Dinneen said her client has now an address at a treatment centre in Blarney but Sgt Heffernan said the alleged injured party has not returned to the family home in Bandon and is currently staying with his father in Blarney. He feared that they may bump into each other in the Blarney area.

Ms Dinneen handed into court a letter from the nuns who run the treatment centre in Blarney but the judge said the letter really didn’t inform him much.

Judge McNulty said these are serious alleged charges and said Mr Kelly will have to deal with his addiction issues at a later time and refused to grant him bail and remanded him in custody to appear again in court on September 21st.