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Story by Tom Tuite
• 6d •
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A man accused of stabbing a garda in Dublin in July has been further charged with arson at Conor McGregor’s Black Forge Inn and engaging in terrorist activity during the two incidents.
Abdullah Khan, with an address in north Dublin – that can not be revealed due to a court order – appeared at Cloverhill District Court yesterday for his fifth hearing since being charged. He has not yet applied for bail.
Mr Khan, 23, was arrested on Dublin’s Capel Street following an incident there, at around 6pm, on July 29. He was initially charged with assault causing harm to the officer and producing a Tactix knife capable of causing serious injury.
Pic: ABD/Shutterstock
The injured officer, a young probationary member of the force who was on high-visibility patrol with a colleague, received hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Mr Khan’s brief hearing yesterday marked the most significant development in the proceedings since he was remanded in custody on July 31. He faced five additional charges, and directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions were delivered specifying that Mr Khan is to be tried in the non-jury Special Criminal Court, which is reserved for terrorism or organised crime-related offences.
Detective Sergeant Liam McLoughlin, from Bridewell Garda Station in the capital, told Judge Alan Mitchell that Mr Khan ‘made no reply’ when he charged him with two offences: endangerment of life and attempted assault of a second garda, at Capel Street, on July 29.
Workmen at The Black Forge on Friday morning. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
Detective Sergeant McLoughlin said the accused was handed a true copy of these charges shortly before his court appearance and made no reply after being cautioned.
Special Detective Unit Sergeant Eamonn O’Neill then gave evidence and told Judge Mitchell that at 10.24 am, he charged the accused with three other offences, saying Mr Khan ‘made no response when cautioned’.
One of these charges was for criminal damage in connection with a fire at the Black Forge Inn, on the Drimnagh Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, on July 25. The other two are under section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences Act), 2005, for engaging in terrorist activity or terrorist-linked activity, during the alleged arson, on July 25, and the knife attack four days later.
Detective Sergeant O’Neill said: ‘The DPP directed that it is to proceed on indictment and the matter is to be forwarded to the Special Criminal Court.’
Asked by Judge Mitchell if the new charges related to the same incident, Detective Sergeant O’Neill replied: ‘One of the charges is directly related to the previous charges, and the others are a separate but related incident.’
The sergeant thought that all the charges would be in a single book of evidence. The accused, dressed in a grey tracksuit, sat with his arms folded behind a transparent barrier on the defendant’s bench. He did not address the proceedings and spoke quietly, but only to consult with his solicitor Matthew de Courcy, who confirmed that there was no application for bail.
He had yet to indicate a plea. Judge Mitchell noted that reporting restrictions on Mr Khan’s address would be continued for public safety reasons, ‘and the safety of other persons not related to this’.
There was no application for legal aid, but the judge said he would note that such an application was being deferred. The accused was remanded in custody to appear again in one week, as this was the maximum adjournment allowed due to the new charges.
Judge Mitchell said he expected that it could take six weeks for prosecutors to complete the book of evidence. The book of evidence must be served on the accused before a trial order is granted.
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