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Special Criminal Court
Bail refused for former Sinn Féin councillor charged with falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill man
Jonathan Dowdall stands accused of the offences together with his father stemming from incidents on the 15 January 2015.
A FORMER SINN Féin councillor and his father accused of falsely imprisoning, assaulting and threatening to kill another man have been refused bail at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Jonathan Dowdall (39), with an address at Navan Road, Dublin 7 and Patrick Dowdall (59), of the same address, are both charged with falsely imprisoning Alexander Hurley by detaining him without his consent at Navan Road, Dublin 7 on 15 January this year.
Both men also face charges of threatening to kill Hurley and of assaulting the man, causing him harm, at the same place on the same date.
Additionally, they are charged with possessing a firearm or imitation firearm, which appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun and a handgun, with the intent to falsely imprison Hurley, also at the same place on the same date.
Today Mr Justice Robert Eagar, presiding at the non-jury court, with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan, refused bail to the two men.
On Monday, the gardai had objected to bail.
Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce, of the Special Detective Unit (SDU), told the court that the objection was based on the “seriousness” of the charge.
The court had also heard evidence from Detective Chief Superintendent Finbar O’Brien, of Ballymun garda station, who said that his objection was based on Section 2A of the Bail Act.
The section allows a Chief Superintendent give evidence that the refusal of bail is necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence.
Mr Justice Eagar said that the court accepted the evidence of Det Sgt Boyce and took into account the “nature and seriousness of the charges”.
Both men were remanded in custody until 15 May 2017 when their trial is expected to begin.
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