A Dublin man has appeared in court charged with a series of alleged breaches of COVID-19 regulations.
18-year-old Karl Byrne of Termon Court, Ballymun, is accused of laughing in a Garda’s face when he was asked the purpose of one of his journeys.
He’s also accused of being in possession of up to €5,000 worth of drugs and of having drugs for sale or supply.
After engaging with Mr Byrne on a number of occasions this month, Garda Tom McLoughlin said he felt he was left with no option but to enforce the emergency COVID-19 regulations introduced earlier this month.
When asked his reason for being out and about on the evening of April 8th, the court heard Mr Byrne told gardaí he was going to Poppintree shops for a can of coke.
The court heard he was encouraged to go home because gardaí didn’t feel that was an “essential journey”.
On another occasion, he’s alleged to have laughed in a garda’s face when she asked him the purpose of his journey, and claimed he was just out for some fresh air when he was approached a week later while lying out in the sun with some friends.
Mr Byrne is facing three breaches of the COVID-19 regulations as well as a road traffic offence, and also accused of being in possession of up to €5,000 worth of drugs and of having drugs for sale or supply.
He was granted bail today, and is due to appear in court again next month.
