No bail for Carlow man charged with hitting shop worker
Fairgreen Shopping Centre
A 42-YEAR-old man accused of striking a shop supervisor, leaving him with a suspected chipped tooth, before allegedly threatening to kill him as he fled through Fairgreen Shopping Centre was refused bail at Carlow District Court. Stephen Murphy, with an address at 19 Mount Leinster Park, Tullow Road, Carlow, faced charges of two counts of theft, one count of assault causing harm, one count of trespassing and an alleged assault.
The court heard that on Thursday 11 June, Mr Murphy entered the Sports Direct clothing shop at Fairgreen Carlow and picked up two pairs of trainers, allegedly attempting to leave without paying for them. The store supervisor stopped him and, when challenged, the defendant’s behaviour allegedly became “highly confrontational”. The court was told that Mr Murphy then allegedly struck the manager, leaving him with a suspected chipped tooth.
He proceeded through the shopping centre with Mr Lawlor following him, where he allegedly “struck him with another series of blows” and “threatened to kill him”.
The court heard that CCTV footage from Fairgreen shopping centre clearly captured the theft and assault.
Following the alleged incident at the shopping centre, Mr Murphy entered New Oak estate, where he allegedly assaulted one of the residents. When gardaí arrived at the estate in a patrol car, the defendant allegedly attempted to evade them and was later found hiding in a bush.
He was arrested, cautioned and brought to Carlow Garda Station, where gardaí identified him as the man captured on the CCTV footage, prompting a partial admission during interview when the defendant said “it could be him on the footage”.
Applying for bail to be refused under the , the state cited the seriousness of the charges and raised concerns that Mr Murphy, if released, “will continue this pattern” and “may attempt to interfere with witnesses”. The court was also told that the defendant has had three previous bench warrants issued for failure to appear in court.
Solicitor for the defendant Joe Farrell produced a letter from Mr Murphy’s GP addressed to the Cuan Mhuire Rehabilitation Centre requesting a place on a detox programme.
Having considered all the evidence, Judge Geraldine Carthy refused the application for bail.
