A man accused of recording an intimate image of another man without his consent in Dublin Airport has been remanded in custody.
The accused (25), a foreign national who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Judge Máire Conneely at Dublin District Court on Saturday.
With most criminal law solicitors in the capital having withdrawn their services over July’s criminal legal aid payment reforms, the man was unrepresented as he faced Garda objections to being granted bail.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 at pier 2 in the airport on Friday.
The man, whose address on the charge was listed as “unknown”, has not entered a plea.
Garda Maitiú Fitzpatrick said the man “made no reply” when charged. Evidence about the alleged incident was not heard.
The judge advised the accused that he could proceed with his bail application himself without legal representation or wait for an adjourned date when a solicitor might be available.
The man, whose nationality was not stated, requested an adjournment and deferred his bail application. He consented to being remanded in custody to appear again next week.
It was an emergency court sitting on Saturday and none of the 16 defendants in the main daytime sitting, which deals with urgent cases, had legal representation due to the ongoing industrial action. Three were held in custody and the remainder were granted bail, mainly unopposed.
One man facing accusations of breaching bail terms acted for himself. He successfully resisted a Garda attempt to hold him in prison pending trial after explaining that he could not hear gardaí calling at his door because extra soundproofing had been installed at his mother’s home.