Two charged after woman ‘dragged’ from Kildare home into car in apparent dog dispute, court hears

TWO PEOPLE WITH a combined 30 previous bench warrants have been charged with criminal damage after a woman was forcefully dragged from her home and into a vehicle in Co Kildare, a court has heard.

36-year-old Richard O’Leary of Bawnlee, Tallaght, and 34-year-old Samantha Leeson of no fixed address, were both charged with criminal damage and burglary with intent to commit the offence of criminal damage at Blanchardstown District Court this afternoon.

The incident occurred shortly after 10pm on Monday at a house in The Walled Garden, Celbridge, Co Kildare.

Detective Garda Conrad Casey told the court that at 10.10pm on Monday night, O’Leary, Leeson and another man pulled up to the driveway of a house in the Walled Garden in a Volkswagen Jetta.

CCTV footage from a neighbouring property was viewed by gardaí, which Casey said was ”excellent quality”. Both of the accused identified themselves in the footage to gardaí.

Casey said the three exited the vehicle and approached the front of the house, where Leeson broke one of the glass panels of the door.

“Get out here now or there will be petrol bombs going through your door. Get out here now before I break every other window,” Leeson allegedly said.

When the front door was opened by the alleged victim, Leeson entered the home, followed by O’Leary and the other male, Casey said.

Casey said Leeson then dragged the victim out of the house by her clothes as she protested, forcing her into the car.

The victim was then put into the backseat, Casey said, where she was joined by O’Leary and the other male sitting either side of her.

Leeson entered the driver seat, and the car departed the scene.

Approximately 90 minutes later at 11.35pm, the vehicle was stopped by gardaí on Fortunestown Lane in Tallaght.

When the vehicle was stopped, O’Leary was sitting in the passenger seat, and Leeson was in the driver seat.

“Both these offences are serious and support of the charges are strong,” Casey said.

Defending Richard O’Leary, Mark McMahon BL told the court that O’Leary resides in Tallaght, and has no connection with Celbridge. McMahon added that O’Leary has no relationship with the alleged victim.

McMahon said that O’Leary, an unemployed father of five, had identified himself to gardaí in CCTV footage captured at The Walled Garden in Celbridge, Co Kildare. He said that this “showed a degree of good faith”.

Defending Samantha Leeson, solicitor Leonard Leader told the court that Leeson is the mother of two young children, aged 11 and 5.

Leader said that Leeson and the alleged victim were once friends, and that the relationship between them has since deteriorated.

He said that Leeson had given the alleged victim her pet dog to look after, but was later unable to learn the whereabouts of the dog after “several requests”.

He added that Leeson heard that the dog had been “entered into dog fights”.

Detective Casey agreed that was the background.

While Leeson had identified herself in CCTV footage to gardaí, she had denied the charges against her.

Mentioning O’Leary’s 20 previous bench warrants, Judge David McHugh denied bail.

O’Leary was remanded in custody to appear in Cloverhill court on Friday 27 June at 10am via video link.

Judge McHugh also denied bail to Leeson after stating that the evidence had “considerable strength”.

Leeson was also remanded in custody. She will appear in Blanchardstown by video on Tuesday 1 July at 10.15am.

The charges are under the Theft and Fraud and Criminal Damage Act, which carry 14 and 10-year sentences, respectively. Legal aid was granted.