Accused of scraping cars at shopping centre

Vehicle owners facing repair bills up to €2,500

A YOUNG man, who was arrested on Sunday after allegedly scraping paint off a number of cars at a busy retail carpark in Monaghan Town, will appear before Monaghan District Court this morning having previously been remanded in custody with consent to bail.

Robin Curi (20), of no fixed abode, Monaghan Town, first appeared before Monaghan District Court on Monday when he was told that €1,000 would have to be lodged in cash by an independent surety in order to avail of the bail.

In the meantime, Judge Raymond Finnegan remanded him to appear again by video link from prison today (Wednesday), June 24.

During Monday's bail hearing the judge was told by Garda Gerard Kennedy of significant damage to five different vehicles. Gda Kennedy said he had responded to a report in relation to multiple instances of alleged criminal damage that occurred at the Monaghan Shopping Centre carpark shortly before 2pm on June 21.

The garda said one of the injured parties told him that, after she exited her vehicle, she saw a male in a grey hoodie walk along the side of her car while scraping it and causing damage to its paintwork. Four other people had reported similar damage to their vehicles. The estimated cost of repairs to each vehicle had ranged from €500 to €2,500, Gda Kennedy said.

The garda said CCTV had shown a male picking up an “item” at the gate and walking in among the cars before he exited the carpark. He was later apprehended at the cathedral at Latlorcan, Monaghan, after being followed there by security.

A number of other factors relating to Mr Curi were outlined by Gda Kennedy, including the garda’s understanding that, although he previously had an address at Cluain Lorcan, Monaghan, he was now living in a tent on a local greenway.

Possible mental health an addiction issues were mentioned to Judge Finnegan, with the defendant himself stating that he had “serious bipolar disorder”, and that he was also an alcoholic. He said he had gone to the church because what he did was “very bad”, but added that he was “never going to commit any crime in the future”.

Mr Curi said he used to avail of psychiatric care and had only recently sought help at the St Davnet’s psychiatric hospital in Monaghan town. He told the judge he hoped to “receive mercy”, because he “never had a good life”.

Following further discussion, including a cross-examination of the defendant by Sergeant Lisa McEntee, prosecuting, Judge Finnegan said he was granting bail but that a condition would include a requirement for €1,000 in cash to be lodged by an independent surety (guarantor).

The judge told defence barrister Dimitry Grinberg BL that conditions of bail, if and when his client was in a position to take it up, would include daily signing on a Monaghan Garda Station.