Judge blocks Kildare man going to his sister's wedding today

A Kildare man accused of committing three robberies and a burglary has been blocked going to his sister's wedding today.

Defendant Brian McDermott of the Curragh Plains estate in Kildare Town was refused bail in Naas District Court yesterday due to garda objections that he may abscond.

The court heard that Mr McDermott's parents are both deceased and his sister Lorraine had asked him to give her away on her big day in Roscommon today.

Mr McDermott, who is denying the charges and is currently on remand in Cloverhill Prison in Dublin, was seeking bail from the court.

He said he has already bought a wedding suit and his sister would give him spending money for the day.

Judge Desmond Zaidan said: "I feel sorry, not for him, but for his sister. What if he is brought before me again on other charges - it will be my court that gave him bail in the face of compelling objections."

He added: "I'm not prepared to order gardai to escort the defendant to the wedding and then back to prison again."

Reiterating garda objections, Supt Martin Walker said: "I have a responsibility for policing in South Kildare and a responsibility for its citizens."

Judge Zaidan said: "The risk is too high for this court to bear" and he remanded Mr McDermott in custody to appear in court again in two weeks.

Gardai had earlier given evidence that they feared Mr McDermott may not turn up in court again due to the seriousness of the charges and the short period in which they were allegedly committed.

Gardai gave evidence that on April 23, a man with a wheel brace threatened staff in Ladbrokes bookmakers in Newbridge and took €700 in cash from the tills.

It is alleged that the same man returned to the store when it was closing at 9pm, kicked in the door, jumped the counter and attempted again to take money from the till.

Mr McDermott is also charged with two other robberies - in Newbridge and in Kildare town.

The court was told that on April 21, a man entered Centra store on Roseberry Hill in Newbridge and took €280 from two tills.

On an earlier date, December 31, the accused is alleged to have stolen €500 cash using a suspected imitation firearm at the Daybreak store in Kildare town.