Farm robbery accused told to stay out of Aughrim for his own safety

ONE OF three Wicklow men charged with robbing two elderly farmers of more than £9,000 earlier this month has been directed to…

ONE OF three Wicklow men charged with robbing two elderly farmers of more than £9,000 earlier this month has been directed to stay away from the village of Aughrim, "for his own safety".

At a brief hearing in Wicklow District Court yesterday morning, Judge Desmond Windle remanded the three on continuing bail until November 19th.

They were named as Mr Mark Byrne (21), of Our Lady's Drive, Aughrim; Mr David Byrne (24) no relation, of Lourdes Crescent, Aughrim; and Mr Gerard Fitzgerald (21), of Tomcoyle, Aughrim.

The charges arise from a raid on the home of Mr Andy Kingston (77) and his brother Tom (79) at Kilballyowen, near Aughrim, on October 8th.

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Supt Phil Moynihan told the court he was seeking two conditions on Fitzgerald's continuing bail that he reside at the home of his parents in Tomcoyle, Aughrim, and that "for his own safety" he stay out of Aughrim except when signing at the local Garda station.

Judge Windle allowed bail on those conditions, specifying that Fitzgerald should not come within a mile of Aughrim except to visit the Garda station.

Frank McNally

Frank McNally

Frank McNally is an Irish Times journalist and chief writer of An Irish Diary