A Dublin man failed in the High Court yesterday to have his conditions for bail varied so that he would not require an independent surety.
Mark Desmond, of Lally Road, Ballyfermot, is currently serving a three-month sentence - imposed earlier this month - for driving without insurance.
Chief Supt Pat Grehan said Desmond was seeking a variation of his bail conditions which included the production of an independent surety of almost £1,000 and his own bail of £100. He believed that Desmond would not turn up to process his appeal against the sentence.
Det Garda Brian Woods said he believed Desmond would flee the jurisdiction if the bail conditions were altered.
He had failed to turn up at a previous District Court hearing and had gone to England and returned via the North using a false name.
He said he was not in a position to go into details of other investigations being carried out by the Garda.
Desmond told Mr Justice Murphy he had failed to turn up at an earlier hearing because he had been told to go to the wrong place. He had not travelled under a false name.
The reason he had travelled via the North was because was doing a friend in Belfast a favour by delivering a lost pigeon found in Skibbereen, Co Cork.
He admitted using the name Mark Hennessy when signing a Co Wicklow hotel register. He had been with his girlfriend's best friend and did not want his girlfriend to find out. He used that name because, along with his own name, it was the only one he could spell. Mr Justice Murphy said this was a case where clearly an independent surety was warranted and he refused Desmond's application.