Man absent from court as back ‘completely frozen up’

A man in his 30s charged with damaging a car and assaulting a woman in separate incidents was absent from court last week because his back had “completely frozen up”.

Patrick Keena (36) of Riverside Lawns, Kinnegad, Westmeath, had been due to appear before Judge Deirdre Gearty to answer a charge and summons resulting from incidents on August 11 and September 9, 2024.

They alleged Mr Keena assaulted a woman at Castlepark, Rochfortbridge, Westmeath on August 11, and damaged the driver’s door of a Renault Megane belonging to the same person just over a month later.

As the case was called before Mullingar District Court last Thursday, defence solicitor Adam Dodd addressed the court to reveal his client would not be in attendance.

In reading from a text message which had been sent to him, Mr Dodd said he had received a photograph which appeared to confirm Mr Keena’s admission to the emergency department.

The court was told that hospitalisation had stemmed from concerns over the accused man’s back which, Mr Dodd said, had “completely frozen up”.

Asked by Judge Gearty if the state had any objections to that reasoning, Sgt Sheila Kenny said the case had been pencilled in for “mention only” in order to fix a date for hearing.

Mr Dodd appeared to indicate the latter option may not be needed on the return date: “I think progress can be made,” he said.

Sgt Kenny reserved comment and asked for a further two-month adjournment when, it is anticipated, the case will be heard.

Judge Gearty agreed and put the case back to -Mullingar District Court on December 11.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme