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Former INLA Commander and once prisoner at Portlaoise maximum security jail, Mr Dessie O’Hare, once known as the ‘Border Fox’, is to fight extradition from Northern Ireland over his alleged role as the leader of a gang accused of the imprisonment of a Dublin family, a Belfast court has heard today.
 Mr Dessie O’Hare Mr O’Hare, now aged 60 and who was once the most wanted man in Ireland, (IR£100,000 reward was offered for information on his known whereabouts), is accused in the Irish Republic of six separate crimes, including violent disorder; an act of grievous bodily harm; threats to kill and three counts of false imprisonment.
Early this morning, Mr O’Hare was detained at his home in Newtownhamilton, Co Armagh, in connection with these charges. His alleged offences relate back to June of 2015 and an incident which occurred at Garters Lane, Saggart, in Co Dublin.
Today he appeared before Belfast Recorders’ Court, flanked by prison guards, to justify the first stage of a bid to have him transferred to the Irish Republic. Lawyers representing Dublin’s High Court were granted bail on the grounds that he could abscond; resulting in a decision to remand Mr O’Hare into custody, to appear before the court again next Friday. Mr Declan Duffy, aged 43, a co-accused, with an address at Hannover Street West in Co. Dublin, has already been remanded in custody here in the Republic and a full hearing has been listed for next month.
Mr O’Hare, was a former Irish republican paramilitary, who broke away from self styled ‘Irish National Liberation Army’ (INLA) leadership in Belfast, to set up his own group, the ‘Irish Revolutionary Brigade’.
Possibly he is best remembered for his kidnapping of the late Dr. John O’Grady, from his home in Cabinteely, Co. Dublin on October 13th, 1987. Mr O’Grady, readers may recall, owned a dental surgery in Ballsbridge and was never the intended victim of this O’Hare led gang; who had mistaken his home for that of his father-in-law, the high-profile millionaire and medical entrepreneur Dr. Austin Darragh. (Alas Dr. John O’Grady died in September of this year).
Intensive Garda detective work traced the kidnappers to a location in Cabra, Co. Dublin and a shoot out ensued. One Garda detective was later seriously wounded, however Mr O’Grady was rescued, minus two little fingers which had been chopped off using a hammer and chisel, before same were sent to Carlow Cathedral. In a follow up telephone call to Gardaí, informing them of what was to be found in the Cathedral, Mr O’Hare stated: “It’s just cost John two of his fingers. Now I’m going to chop him into bits and pieces and send fresh lumps of him every fucking day if I don’t get my money fast.” The O’Hare gang themselves escaped from the Cabra location in a hijacked car, which was later found in Dundalk.
Mr O’Hare later resurfaced again in Dunleer, Co. Louth, where he allegedly fired shots into a chip shop during an altercation with his wife; while two members of his notorious gang were arrested near the town of Cahir, here in Co. Tipperary. Some three weeks later, on November 27th 1987, Mr O’Hare was himself arrested after a car, in which he was a passenger, attempted to drive through an Irish Defence Forces check point near Urlingford, on the Tipperary / Kilkenny border. Following a fire-fight, in which his car driver; named as Mr Martin Bryan, was killed. Mr O’Hare was shot eight times as he resisted arrest and one Irish Army soldier was wounded during this same incident.
At a subsequent trial at the Special Criminal Court, Mr O’Hare was convicted of possession of firearms with intent; unlawful imprisonment and wounding with intent, before receiving a 40-year jail sentence. He staged a ‘dirty protest’ in a wing of the prison in 1998, following the Good Friday Agreement, before being transferred to Castlerea Prison on December 8th 2002, in preparation for his release under the same agreement.
He was first granted temporary release from prison in November 2003, following his attendance at a weekend long course on ‘Conflict Resolution’, in Glencree, situated in the Wicklow Mountains; latter an Irish Peace and Reconciliation Centre dedicated to transforming violent conflict. He was later granted periods of temporary release in November 2004 and in March 2005.
However in November 2005 he was returned to Portlaoise prison after he was caught with a mobile phone and a bag of pills, while returning to Castlerea prison from temporary release, thus jeopardising his chances of release under licence. Following a new High Court bid in April 2006 he was granted extended temporary release, and later the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued a statement that Mr O’Hare would no longer be arrested on suspicion of his involvement in up to 30 unsolved killings, since these alleged offences pre-dated the Good Friday Agreement.
 A €1,500 fine and a two-day Closure Order has been imposed on Marlstone Investments Ltd, latter a company pub owned by former 2010 ‘Tipperary Hurler of the year’ Mr Lar Corbett. Same was imposed at Thurles district court yesterday following a conviction brought by the Revenue Commissioners, contrary to Section 79 (2) of the Finance Act, 2003.
The conviction was in relation to 23 bottles of counterfeit vodka, latter seized at Lar Corbett @ Coppingers, No.4, Parnell Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Making her decision, Judge Elizabeth McGrath stated that Mr Corbett, who holds two All-Ireland senior medals, had been an honest and fair witness, but concluded that there had been a lack of a proper scrutiny regarding stocktaking at the related premises.
Mr Corbett, a nominee of his company Marlstone Investments, had denied breaching Revenue legislation by having 16.1 litres of spirits for sale at his pub on January 29th 2015, without having paid the tax appropriate.
Mr Corbett took the stand in court yesterday and was shown one of the seized counterfeit bottles together with a genuine bottle of Smirnoff vodka, to which he stated that he could not tell either items apart from each other.
He named his wholesaler and off-licence from where he purchased the vodka for his licensed premises, prior to the seizure, stating that he had since changed both suppliers.
Under cross-examination, he fully accepted all responsibility in relation to the day to day activities at his premises and believed he had taken all necessary steps to ensure that no counterfeit stock was sold but admitted that he did not have a proper recording system at that particular time ensuring the full tracking of stock purchased.
Judge McGrath pointed out that licensing laws expect a high standard of care from all license holders and the manner in which they operate their premises, which included the standard of care applying to the issue of the supply of alcohol dispensed. She confirmed that a defence of ‘due diligence’ had failed to be established and this being the case, she therefore had no option but to convict, despite there being no previous convictions.
The maximum fine under current legislation remains at €5,000, while the penalty also includes a mandatory closure order for between two and seven days.
 The Garda Representatives Association (GRA) has unanimously rejected a final Government deal, put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission, claiming the continued focus on allowance hikes had failed to meet Garda demands.
The proposed new deal had been centred on the restoration of a €4,000 rent allowance and a 15-minute ‘at parade’ allowance for officers, which would have allowed Garda income to be increased, while technically not breaching the Lansdowne Road Agreement and thereby avoiding the avalanche of comparable pay claims expected to arrive courtesy of other Public Sector Union members.
In order to allow this new agreement to be activated, however, the Government had also sought to further extend Garda hours.
Last night the AGSI accused the Government of circulating misinformation, stating that contrary to statements from Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe and Government Chief Whip Regina Doherty, it was dealing with the Workplace Relations Commission on a once-off basis only.
The GRA Executive Committee were fully briefed on the Government’s new deal earlier today, in the late evening and following an open discussion between committee members, just before 10.00pm tonight, same confirmed that the new proposals had been unanimously rejected on the grounds that an over-stretched Garda force were being asked to work increased hours before rest days and some increases promised could not be fully introduced until 2018.
There now remains the option of the Labour Court to intervene in this serious dispute; however the GRA must wait for an invitation. Now with no resolution on the immediate horizon, all rank and file Gardaí and middle ranking Garda Officers will carry out their threat to withdraw their services for the next four Fridays of this month.
 Mr Darren Gleeson with an address at Portroe, Co Tipperary and a winning goalkeeper with the Tipperary Senior Hurling Team, is to stand trial in the Circuit Court, following accusations of possible fraud and theft.
It is alleged that between 2013 to 2015, the 35-year-old Mr Gleeson purloined over €93,000 using cheques. Today he appeared before Nenagh District Court and was remanded on bail, having been granted legal aid.
The allegations made against the ace senior hurler, claim that he purloined €50,000, drawn down on the account of a female on May 21st 2014, by lodging a cheque made payable to himself personally.
It is further alleged that he purloined €10,000 on February 26th 2015, by lodging a cheque also made payable to himself and drawn down on the account of that same lady, while stealing €1,960 on September, 6th 2013, via a similar practise.
Mr Gleeson also stands accused of stealing €22,000 from a male on November 29th, 2013, by also lodging a cheque made payable to himself personally and once again drawn down on the account of that same individual, while also stealing €10,000 from the same gentleman on February 25th, 2013, via a similar ruse.
Judge Elizabeth MacGrath has sent Mr Gleeson forward to appear before a sitting of the Circuit Court in Nenagh on October 25th next, to answer the charges formally made against him.
 Thurles.Info have received as yet two unconfirmed reports of bag snatching incidents, happening within the Thurles area, over the past couple of weeks.
Although Thurles town has a very low incidence of such behaviour, Thurles Gardaí would like to remind people of a few simple rules in relation to ‘letting their guard down’, particularly in the present economic climate and coming up to the Christmas 2016 period.
Speaking to Sergeant Gerard Harrington at Thurles Garda Station today, Sgt Harrington offers his advice to all shoppers.
(1) Lady drivers please stop the practise of placing handbags on your front passenger car seat. This common practise, particularly, is a huge incentive to thieves lurking in any area. Instead place your handbag and any other valuables out of sight in your car boot and when driving in slow traffic, learn to lock car doors from the inside. When loading shopping into your car, if approached by strangers or other undesirables, immediately close your car boot until you become fully aware of their true intentions.
(2) Leave purses at home. Use a wallet, secured in a zipped pocket. You have no secure coat pocket and there are other items such as make-up, house keys, mobile phone etc., which you wish to carry on your person; then purchase a bag that will belt around your tummy and which hides such items from constant view.
(3) With evenings becoming darker and the change to ‘Old Time’ now imminent; confine yourself to walking in busy, well lit areas where possible. Remember purse snatchers / handbag snatchers are less likely to strike in such areas, as they don’t wish to be identified. Walk with briskness and with confidence and if possible with a friend.
If you find yourself having to walk alone in an isolated or lightly populated area, be aware and observe those who might pass you or indicate that they may approach you. If you are not seen as vulnerable and well able to give their physical description, they in many cases will avoid contact.
(4) Report suspicious activity. If you suspect that a stranger appears to be lurking in a particular area where they have no known business, contact a manager or security personnel, if in the case of a shopping centre or supermarket. Call Gardaí in the case of trespass witnessed on your own or your neighbours’ private property. After all it is better to report your suspicions and be wrong, than it is to ignore and be robbed or hurt. Your anonymity and confidentiality will always be protected.
(5) Hold handbags and purses tightly and close to your body, particularly when on buses, trains or out walking or shopping. Ensure your bags latches or zips are fully closed and if possible, wear handbags on your shoulder underneath a coat or jacket. You might be tempted to wear your bag diagonally across your body, e.g. across your neck as well as your shoulder, or loop bag straps around your wrist to prevent it from being easily snatched. While such held in this manner may be seen by thieves as a deterrent, in some cases; do keep in mind that if someone does snatch your bag, a hard yank can actually cause you bodily injury.
(6) Don’t carry any more cash or credit cards than you absolutely need, to undertake your shopping. If you are inclined to carry multiple Credit Cards, remember just one credit card should be sufficient for your needs. Always have quick access to your banks customer service information so that you can immediately report any card stolen. Ask yourself before leaving your home whether the contents of your purse, wallet or handbag are worth receiving an injury for, however minor.
(7) When making / receiving mobile phone calls find a place where you can secure your back, e.g. a wall, shop window and avoid doorways. Stop and place your rear end against the nearest large tree, pillar or wall, before transacting your conversation, with the knowledge that if your valuable iPhone is to be snatched from your grasp; same will at least be within the range of your immediate vision and thus lead to the possible identification or description of your unwelcome attacker.
(8) Remember, no matter what, YOU, as a person are more valuable than your bag, phone or purse. If someone yanks it away from your hands or your shoulder, let it go. It is more important to avoid personal serious injury than to save a handbag. Avoid your initial desire to fight to keep your possessions. Instead try to get a description of your assailant including footwear, hair colour, clothing, height, the number plate and colour / make of any vehicle suspected etc., before contacting Gardaí as soon as possible. Usually such individuals are already known to Gardaí.
(9) Be careful when using Bank or other Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). ATMs are a great convenience, but they can compromise your safety. Use cash machines at bank branches as same are probably the safest bet. Avoid an ATM at the corner of a building. Maintain an awareness of your surroundings throughout your entire transaction and be very wary of people who try to help you. Do not permit people to look over your shoulder, particularly as you enter your PIN number. Never ever count cash at the machine or while you remain in public view. Wait until you are in your car (doors locked from the inside) or in at least a more secure area. If you do become involved in a confrontation with an assailant who demands your money, simply comply with their wishes.
Sgt Harrington was most anxious to point out that leaflets and advice on such safety protections are available, on a 24 hours basis from Thurles Garda Station, or though your locally appointed community Garda member.
“Thurles Gardaí are always ready and available to discuss matters regarding security and safety to any individual or groupings within the Thurles Garda District”, said Sgt. Harrington.
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