A man has been charged with false imprisonment of a decision in connection with a hoax gun scare at his own family court in Dublin. The defendant, who cannot be named for felony reasons, has been returned for trial. Judge Susan Ryan of the Circuit Court presided over the Phoenix House courts in Smithfield in Dublin. At the same time, it needed to be evacuated because of a safety alert at around 11.30 am on December 20th. Armed gardaí and a bomb disposal crew had been called in to cope with the incident, which ended peacefully. A man in his mid-40s was arrested and taken to the Bridewell Garda station.
He appeared at Dublin District Court days later, charged with the fake imprisonment of girls involved in criminal proceedings and one count of threatening to kill or cause severe harm. He was then refused bail. In January, he was similarly charged with illegal possession of an imitation gun connected with the incident. The defendant made his 7th court appearance while he seemed once more at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday. An extra rate was turned in against him for false imprisonment of Judge Ryan in connection with the incident at Phoenix House. The Director of Public Prosecutions directed a trial on indictment on all fees, Judge Victor Blake mentioned on Thursday. The defendant has not yet indicated how he will plead, and there has been no request for bail. He was dispatched for trial in custody to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his next hearing on April 5th.
