Former rugby international Brendan Mullin represented himself before a judge of Dublin District Court on Tuesday at a short hearing of the shoplifting case against him.
Mullin, of Albert Lodge, Stillorgan Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, has been charged with the theft last May of a bottle of Hermès perfume worth €158 from Brown Thomas department store on Grafton Street.
The 62-year-old won 55 caps for Ireland between 1984 and 1995 before going on to work in financial services.
He told Judge Treasa Kelly he wishes to have the case against him heard by a District Court judge, choosing that option over the alternative of going before a jury of the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.
Mullin stepped forward from the public gallery to represent himself when his case was called, saying his solicitor, John O’Doherty, was not present because of the “strike situation”.
The remand hearing lasted no more than three minutes.
After indicating his preference for a District Court trial, Kelly directed Mullin to attend the court before another judge on November 2nd to set a hearing date.
The case was likely to be taken in the new year, Kelly said.
Mullin asked to be excused from that hearing, saying this was his fourth appearance before the court. However, Kelly said he was required to attend and said the judge would have the option of issuing a bench warrant if he did not.
The judge noted “full disclosure” of statements in the case after solicitor for the Director of Prosecutions Prosecutions (DPP) Emma Croydon said a number of statements were sent to O’Doherty on October 16th.
However, a further statement had been presented to the DPP on October 19th, the eve of the hearing on Tuesday.
The judge said the new statement could be handed to Mullin in court but he asked that it be sent to O’Doherty. Kelly directed that the statement be sent to Mullin’s solicitor by email.