A judge has refused to relax bail conditions to allow a Galway arts worker charged with the criminal damage of a US aircraft at Shannon Airport to travel to the UK for work.
At Ennis District Court today, Judge Alec Gabbett said that Nell Buckley (29) “is charged with serious offences” and refused an application to have Ms Buckley’s passport returned to allow her travel on work funded by the Arts Council to Great Yarmouth over three days at the end of this month.
Judge Gabbett said that the incident at Shannon Airport received wide publicity.
He said that the great concern to the court is the serious issue about airport safety “and there could potentially be an international incident”.
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Ms Buckley of Ard Omra, Ballyburke, Ballymoneen Road, Galway who has a Masters qualification, is one of three women charged with the criminal damage of the Omni Air International aircraft at Shannon airfield on May 17th.
It will be alleged that part of the front of the aircraft was spray painted with red paint.
Ms Buckley is also charged with entering a restricted area beside the control tower at Shannon Airport with intent to unlawfully interfere with property on the same date.
All three first appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at 9pm on Sunday night and Ms Buckley’s co-accused were bailed to reappear before court on July 9th on strict bail conditions.
Ms Buckley also obtained bail and as part of Ms Buckley’s own bail conditions, she is barred from entering any airport and must return her passport.
In court today, solicitor for Ms Buckley, Daragh Hassett asked that Ms Buckley’s bail be amended to allow her to travel to the UK for three days for work funded by the Arts Council.
Det Garda Roddy Burke said that the concerns he outlined at the bail hearing on Ms Buckley entering an airport remain.
Mr Hassett said that the charges Ms Buckley faces are “serious” and she intends to contest those charges when the case comes for trial.
Ms Buckley said that she has lived overseas for periods and did her Masters in the Netherlands and returned from there in 2020. Mr Hassett said that Ms Buckley’s mother has an independent surety of €500 in court to allow her daughter make the journey.
Mr Buckley agreed with Mr Hassett that she was travelling to the UK for work and not under the guise of a protester and would be travelling alone. Mr Hassett said that Ms Buckley’s flight tickets are to fly out of Dublin on Ryanair.
Judge Gabbett refused the application and remanded Ms Buckley on continuing bail to reappear in court on July 9th.
Judge Gabbett later told Mr Hassett that he was not open to an application to allow Ms Buckley travel by ferry to the UK this month.
