A 25-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED at Dublin Airport for recording an intimate image of another man has been remanded in custody.

The accused, a foreign national who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Judge Máire Conneely at Dublin District Court on Saturday without legal representation.

With most criminal law solicitors in the capital having withdrawn their services over July’s legal aid payment reforms, the man was unrepresented as he faced garda objections to his bail.

He faces a single charge under Section 3 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. The allegation is that he recorded an intimate image without consent, causing alarm, distress or harm.

The incident allegedly happened on Friday at the airport’s Pier 2 area.

The man, whose address on the charge was listed as “unknown”, has yet to enter a plea.

Garda Maitiú Fitzpatrick said the man “made no reply” when charged. Evidence about the alleged incident has yet to be heard.

The judge advised the accused that he had two choices: proceed with his bail application himself without legal representation, or wait for an adjourned date when a solicitor might be available.

Stating that he did not understand Irish, the man, whose nationality was not stated, requested an adjournment and deferred his bail application.

He consented to be remanded in custody to appear again next week.

It was an emergency court on Saturday where none of the 16 defendants in the main daytime sitting, which deals with urgent cases, had lawyers due to the ongoing industrial action.

Three were held in custody and the remainder granted bail, mainly unopposed.

One man facing accusations of breaching bail terms acted for himself. He successfully resisted a garda bid to hold him in prison pending trial after explaining that he could not hear gardaí calling at his door because his mother’s home had had extra soundproofing installed.