Man accused of assault and knife offences in Limerick further remanded

A MAN accused of assault and knife offences in the city on Friday was remanded in continuing custody at Limerick District Court this Tuesday.

Chinonso Igboanusi, aged 28, with no fixed address, appeared before a special court sitting in Nenagh on Saturday. He did not reply when gardaí charged him with two counts of possession of a knife, and one count of assaulting a female, on February 9.

Objecting to bail in Nenagh Court, gardai said it was their belief that if Mr Igboanusi was released on bail he would commit similar “serious offences”.

Gardai claimed the accused acted “extremely erratically” and that his behaviour was “extremely dangerous” during the alleged incidents last Friday.

Gardai said Mr Igboanusi was allegedly seen with a Swiss Army knife at Colbert Station around 11am last Friday.

He is further alleged to have assaulted a female later that morning at 11.30am by kicking her in the back from behind as she walked on Athlunkard Street.

He is further alleged to have been in possession of a Swiss Army knife when arrested at Lidl shopping centre, Westbury shortly after midday.

Gardaí told the court they had received a call around midday that a man was observed by a member of the public wearing “a balaclava” and armed with what looked like “a Stanley knife” in the Shannon Banks area.

Gardaí claimed a man fitting the accused's description ran from them as they arrived in the Westbury area and they arrested the accused a short time later in possession of a ski-mask and Swiss Army knife.

The court heard the accused is an Irish citizen with addresses in Dublin and Cork which the court asked gardai to verify.

Mr Igboanusi gave evidence that he had been “accused of something I didn’t do”.

Judge Elizabeth MacGrath said her main concern was the garda’s fear that the accused had openly displayed a knife in public and they believed he would commit serious offences if released from custody.

The accused’s barrister, Liam Carroll, said the allegations against his client had been the subject of “some commentary on social media”.

Mr Carroll asked the judge that she make an order that safety precautions be undertaken by the governor of Limerick Prison regarding his client’s “safety”.

Judge MacGrath said this was not in her jurisdiction and asked gardai to follow it up with the prison authorities.

The judge said she had neither granted nor refused bail. She remanded Mr Igboanusi to Limerick Prison for a further bail hearing on Tuesday.

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When the matter was called at Limerick District Court this Tuesday, Sarah Ryan, solicitor for Mr Igboanusi, reserved her position with regards to making a bail application.

Ms Ryan said she needed time to talk to her client and asked for the matter to be put back until this Friday, February 16. Mr Igboanusi, who was wearing a navy jumper, navy tracksuit bottoms and black trainers, did not speak during the brief procedural matter.

Judge Carol Anne Coolican, presiding, remanded Mr Igboanusi in custody to appear in Limerick District Court this Friday. The judge granted legal aid in the case.