Romanian squatters disappeared when gardaí called to arrest them, court hears

Ray Managh

Romanians, who had squatted for months in a dangerous and fire risk flats complex, had disappeared last night when gardaí called to arrest 27 of them who had been found in contempt of court orders to get out and directed by a judge to be imprisoned.

Barrister Johnnie Mc Coy, who appeared with Greg Ryan Solicitors in the Circuit Civil Court Thursday for retired solicitor and landlord, Mel Kilrane, told Judge Roderick Maguire that all of them had abandoned the property overnight.

“It appears now it will not be necessary for anything further to happen and we feel the matter should be put back for a week for mention,” Mr McCoy said.

Judge Maguire said that after attaching and committing the offending defendants to prison he had ordered all of them to be brought before the court on Thursday but none had turned up.

Garda Sergeant Patrick Martin, Mountjoy Garda Station, told the court that when gardaí turned up at the property at 9 Belvedere Place, Dublin, on Thursday night they found that all of the defendants had gone and the property was in the hands of a private security company.

Judge Maguire said that in the circumstances the orders against all of the 27 defendants were now spent and adjourned the proceedings for mention next week.

Mr McCoy said he had received instructions from the landlord to specifically thank Garda George Magdelena, a Romanian speaker who had acted as interpreter on several occasions for the court and Garda Michael McGrath for their assistance in dealing with the case.

Judge Maguire also added his thanks to members of the gardaí who had assisted the court on Wednesday when he had made his committal orders.

Earlier the court had been told by barrister Joe Jackson, also acting for the landlord, that the Romanian nationals, including many children, had been squatting in a dangerous building which was a serious fire risk.

Mr Kilrane had been fined in the District Court for breaching fire regulations. He said workmen for Mr Kilrane had attempted to enter the property to carry out repairs and renovations but had been faced by angry squatters, some producing knives.

Mr Jackson had told other Circuit Civil Court judges that there were many children among the squatters who claimed they could not afford legal representation. He said there was an ongoing health hazard as the squatters were living in atrocious squalor and “in the middle of their own faeces.”

At earlier hearings judges had expressed concern for the rehousing of the squatters, many of whom had children at local schools.