Clare man (75) accused of trying to smuggle woman (22) into State returned for trial
A 75-year-old Co Clare man accused of providing a fraudulent French ID card to a 22-year-old woman he met online in order to assist her to gain illegal entry into Ireland last year has been returned for trial.
At Ennis District Court today, Judge Alec Gabbett returned Roger Bishop of Little Thatch, Crown, Lissycasey, Co Clare for trial to the next sittings of Ennis Circuit Court in connection with two smuggling related offences connected to the alleged illegal entry of the woman, who was living in Turkey at the time, into the State in March 2024.
Advertisement
In court, Garda Emmet Roche gave evidence of handing over the Book of Evidence to solicitor, Colum Doherty for the accused.
Judge Alec Gabbett told Mr Doherty with the Book of Evidence now served, Mr Bishop did not have the option of entering a signed plea of guilt in the district court. Judge Gabbett said that Mr Bishop could enter a plea when arraigned before the circuit court.
Judge Gabbett told Mr Bishop that if an alibi formed any part of his defence that he had 14 days in which to do so.
Sgt Frank O'Grady told the court that the DPP consents to the return for trial to the next sittings of Ennis Circuit Court where more serious penalties apply after Judge Gráinne Malone declined district court jurisdiction last month after hearing an outline of the alleged facts in court from Det Garda Karen Barker from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
Advertisement
Declining jurisdiction last month, Judge Malone said: 'I appreciate that it is somewhat marginal, but in all of the circumstances, particularly the age discrepancy between the two and the element of preparing a fraudulent ID card, I am refusing jurisdiction.'
Giving an outline of the facts, Det Garda Barker stated that on March 1st 2024, it will be alleged that Mr Bishop travelled to Turkey where he met a female.
She said: 'He purchased tickets and a French ID card and assisted her in travelling to Dublin Airport, where he presented his passport and the French ID card with her details on it and gained entry."
Dt Garda Barker said: 'It was subsequently found that the French ID card was false in the name of the female. She is 22.'
Advertisement
The nationality of the woman was not disclosed in court.
Online relationship
Asked by Judge Malone how did Mr Bishop came to meet the woman who is 53 years younger than him, Det. Barker said, 'They were in an online relationship.'
Asked by Judge Malone where is she now, Det Garda Barker said: 'She subsequently claimed asylum. She attempted to leave the jurisdiction in May-June and Luxembourg returned her back to Dublin airport on the false French ID card she had gained entry with previously.'
Asked by Judge Malone, did Mr Bishop stand to make any financial gain? Det Barker said: 'No, judge - she was culpable. She wanted to come to Ireland, and she got in a relationship. He thought he was in a relationship with her, but when she arrived here, it didn't go to plan.'
Advertisement
Det Garda Barker said that 'it wouldn't be one of the more serious cases we have dealt with'.
Det Garda Barker said that the DPP had directed that the case be dealt with in the district court. Judge Malone said that the DPP has the benefit of all of the papers in this case, but said that she was refusing jurisdiction.
Mr Bishop - who turns 76 in May - is charged with possessing a fraudulent French ID card at T1 at Dublin airport on March 1st, 2024 with the intention of assisting another person entry into the State in breach of Section 5 of the Immigration Act 2004 contrary to Section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons Act) 2021.
Mr Bishop is also charged on March 1st, 2024, at T1, Dublin airport with intentionally assisting the entry of another person into the State, which was a breach of Section 5 of the Immigration Ac,t contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Act 2021.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
The Day Of The Jackal author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
The best-selling author was surrounded by his family as he died at home on Monday morning, Curtis Brown added. The former RAF pilot and investigative journalist turned novelist was known for writing thrilling crime books including The Fox, The Kill List, and The Afghan. His agent Jonathan Lloyd said: 'We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers. 'Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life – In My Own Words, to be released later this year on BBC1 – and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived. 'After serving as one of the youngest ever RAF pilots, he turned to journalism, using his gift for languages in German, French and Russian to become a foreign correspondent in Biafra. 'Appalled at what he saw and using his experience during a stint as a secret service agent, he wrote his first and perhaps most famous novel, The Day Of The Jackal, and instantly became a global best-selling author. 'He went on to write more than 25 books (many of which were made into films) that have sold over 75 million copies. 'He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, all of us at Curtis Brown and of course his millions of fans around the world – though his books will of course live on forever.' Born in Ashford, Kent, in 1938, Forsyth – known to his friends as 'Freddie' – began his career in the Royal Air Force in 1956 before leaving after two years to pursue a career in journalism. He covered international stories and the attempted assassination of French general Charles de Gaulle which provided inspiration for his best-selling novel, The Day Of The Jackal, which was published in 1971 and turned into a film starring Edward Fox as the Jackal in 1973. Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne took on the mantle of the elusive assassin last year in a TV adaption for Sky Atlantic, also starring The Woman King actress Lashana Lynch. In 2000, Forsyth became the first high-profile British writer to agree to publish a book exclusively on the internet. In his 2015 memoir The Outsider: My Life In Intrigue, he revealed that had extensive involvement with MI6.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
'Good case' Israel breached international law with Madleen seizure
On Monday, Israel imprisoned 12 crew members on board the vessel that was sailing along the Egyptian coast and heading towards Gaza to deliver aid. It is understood that the Madleen was captured in international waters some 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Gaza. Heidi Matthews, a professor specialising in international criminal law at York University in Toronto, Canada, said that as the naval blockade on Gaza is 'unlawful', there are several points of law that the Israeli forces breached by capturing the Madleen. READ MORE: LIVE: Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Madleen tracker and updates Matthews explained that there are two specific conditions which allow countries to enforce a blockade in international waters. First, if a vessel is making an 'effective contribution to opposing forces', for example, if it had weapons on board. Second, if it was posing an 'imminent and overwhelming threat' to Israel, that would allow them to 'invoke self defence on the high seas'. Matthews explained: 'Obviously, neither of these conditions have been met in these circumstances. 'So because of that, intercepting the vessel and taking custody of the crew members is not the enforcement of a lawful blockade, as Israel is claiming.' The Madleen, which carried campaigner Greta Thunberg and French member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, was sailing under the UK red ensign, meaning it was under UK jurisdiction while in international waters. 'I think there's a good case that these actions, specifically the detention of crew members could constitute crimes against humanity, specifically unlawful confinement and unlawful appropriation of property, as well as an attack against civilians as such,' Matthews (below) added. (Image: Heidi Matthews) 'Others have made the case that could constitute a war crime too.' Mitchell pointed out that Israel's response to the capture of the vessel, such as deeming it a 'selfie yacht' and releasing pictures of Thunberg being handed a sandwich, were intended to undermine the mission as a 'silly thing'. However, she added that it was clearly being 'treated as though it were a threat' by the deployment of Israeli forces. Matthews added: 'Therefore arguably bringing in war crimes and in terms of crimes against humanity here like the way that would work, this is a little technical, but because the UK is a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and Israel is currently conducting a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza, intercepting this vessel on the high seas would trigger the territorial jurisdiction of the United Kingdom, and again, a couple of those crimes against humanity that I mentioned.' She added that the UK Government should be thinking about the incident 'in terms of international criminal law and the law of war' and that it should 'be acting accordingly'. The National have repeatedly pushed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for a response following the crew being detained on Monday. READ MORE: Labour Government 'must protect' UK-flagged Madleen aid ship After refusing to respond for hours, they directed our journalists to a BBC live blog with comments from the Prime Minister's spokesperson who said they wanted Israel to resolve the situation 'safely with restraint, in line with international humanitarian law'. Earlier, Israel was preparing to hold the 12 unlawfully detained activists in separate cells in Givon Prison in Ramla, according to local media. Israel Katz, Israel's defence minister, said that he had instructed the IDF to show the crew 'video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre when they arrive at the port of Ashdod'. Matthews said the UK should consider taking a case to the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, she noted the attack the Israeli navy committed in 2010 on the Mavi Marmara, a flagship of a flotilla crewed by pro-Palestinian activists who were attempting to deliver 10,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza. (Image: PA) Israeli forces attacked the boat, which like the Madleen (above) was trying to breach the blockade on Gaza, leading to the death of nine people, and leaving a further 50 injured. The UN Human Rights Council found that Israel's military had broken international laws by taking 'disproportionate action'. Prosecutors at the ICC declined to open an investigation into the alleged war crimes that took place during the attack. Matthews said it was 'unfortunate' the case didn't proceed as it may have 'acted as a deterrent'. READ MORE: LBC spark fury with pro-Israel report on seizure of Madleen Gaza ship 'The Madleen itself has obviously captured global attention, right? And so the purpose was always to do that,' she explained. 'Given the amount of media attention, I wasn't expecting them to actually sink the ship. "Instead, they're trying to create this alternative narrative where a military intersection is actually not an attack, but some kind of rescue mission.' She added: 'The battle is really over framing.'
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Huge holiday hotspot sees big drop in UK tourists after locals 'demonise' them
Benidorm is one of the biggest winners in Spain of the drop in British holidaymakers choosing Magaluf following the party resort "clean-up", local bar and nightclub chiefs say A Spanish holiday resort once beloved by Brits is seeing its popularity falter amid efforts to tidy up its image. According to Miguel Perez-Marsa, head of the ABONE nightclub association on Majorca, young Brits are shunning Magaluf. The area used to be overrun by UK tourists during the summer but now attracts a more diverse European crowd. Miguel argued that Brits feel "demonized." French and Italian visitors, who tend to drink less and spend less on nights out, are filling the void left by British revellers. At the same time, British youths, once the mainstay of Magaluf's raucous Punta Ballena strip, have been "steam-rollered" and are now heading to Benidorm and other "more-welcoming" resorts, Miguel said. While more British families are visiting Magaluf, they're choosing all-inclusive deals, which means they're spending less money outside their hotels, Miguel told Diario de Mallorca. The reputation of Magaluf took a hit following the release of a scandalous sex video in June 2014, involving a British tourist in a bar, which resulted in a year-long closure of the establishment and a concerted effort by local authorities to clean up the resort's image. Magaluf's infamous party strip has been under the spotlight since Majorca's leading politician at the time, Jose Ramon Bauza, slammed Punta Ballena as "500 metres of shame". This came after an 18-year-old girl was tricked into performing sex acts for a supposed free holiday, only to receive a cocktail named 'Holiday'. Fines reaching up to £50,000 were introduced for tourists caught balcony jumping, and alcohol service with meals at all-inclusive hotels in areas like Magaluf was restricted under a regional government decree targeting 'drunken tourism', introduced five years ago. Last year saw even stricter measures, including £1,300 penalties for street drinking and mandatory night-time shutdowns of alcohol-selling shops in parts of Magaluf. In May 2024 the Mirror's Hollie Bone visited Magaluf and was shocked by the levels of debauchery on display, despite these efforts. "In just one night our reporter was offered cocaine five times and witnessed a stag party buying a huge can of nitrous oxide, known as hippy crack, before using it openly in a bar. And previous visitors have urged those going this year to be careful as thuggish bouncers, incidents of spiking and theft still plague the party town," she wrote. "During our week in Magaluf we witnessed several blatant breaches of the new laws. We saw members of the stag party buy two one litre bottles of vodka and gin after making an after-hours deal with a takeaway owner at 3am. The same group also bought the nitrous oxide and inhaled balloons of the gas in front of nonchalant bar workers. "Revellers are still enticed into bars by the offers of a free shot with their first drink. For some young Britons a summer season here is still as attractive and exciting as it was eight years ago. One barman from Tottenham, North London, told us he came here in 2016 and has never looked back." During a visit in May last year, Britain's then-Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, called on visitors in the Majorcan hotspot to "show responsibility" and remember they are "guests" in Spain. British holidaymakers form the majority of Benidorm's international visitors. Recent statistics revealed that over two-thirds of the Costa Blanca resort's tourists in May were from overseas, with an encouraging average hotel occupancy rate of 84.7% for the month. This Sunday an anti-mass tourism demonstrators are gearing up for another rally in the Majorcan capital, Palma. The event is orchestrated by activist group Menys Turisme, Mes Vida, with a coalition of 60 organisations confirming their participation. Activists from other cities such as Barcelona and San Sebastian are set to join in a series of synchronised protests. A spokesperson for Menys Turisme, Mes Vida declared last week: "We will demonstrate for the right to a decent life and to demand the brakes are put on the touristification of this island."
