Father and daughter charged in relation to row where ‘lives of gardaí threatened’

A father and daughter are to stand trial in connection to a violent row in Longford during which the lives of four gardaí were allegedly threatened.

Darren Kelly (36), of Ardnacassa Avenue, Longford and his eighteen-year-old daughter Demi Kelly, Canal Green, Prospect Woods, Longford, were both served with books of evidence at a sitting of Longford District Court on Tuesday.

Mr Kelly was charged with threatening to kill gardaí David Conroy, Leo Shiel, John Fitzmaurice and Joe Kavanagh following an incident at Grian Ard, Longford on St Stephen's Day last year.

The accused, who was wearing a white tracksuit top and blue tracksuit top, stood silently at the back of the courtroom as State Solicitor Mark Connellan said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had consented for Mr Kelly to be sent forward for trial.

The court was told his daughter (18) also faced four charges, including two counts of allegedly assaulting gardaí while also producing an ornament and beer bottle during the course of a dispute.

Judge Marie Keane gave the pair the alibi warning, telling them they had 14 days to notify the State solicitor's office should an alibi be used in the course of their trial.

Legal aid was also granted with both defendants being remanded on continuing bail to the next sittings of Longford Circuit Criminal Court on January 11th, 2022.