Woman appears in court accused of assaulting a Garda near controversial asylum seeker center

This woman has appeared in court on charges of assaulting a Garda near the site of a controversial asylum seeker center in Co Wicklow.

Martina Gregory (53) is accused of assaulting a police officer near the Trudder asylum seeker center in Newtownmountkennedy.

Ms Gregory, of Killadreenan, Newtownmountkennedy, was charged with assaulting an officer on May 1 in Trudder Road, that city.

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The site has been the site of repeated protests over plans to house dozens of asylum seekers at the center earlier this year.

Ms Gregory, who appeared before Judge David Kennedy at Wicklow District Court in Bray this morning, did not speak during the short hearing.

She is also facing charges under Art. sixth of the Public Order Act regarding the use of threats, insults or offensive behavior in a public place.

The court was given evidence of arrest, charge and caution in Mrs Kennedy’s case and the hearing was adjourned until the end of September to obtain directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Judge Kennedy remanded Mrs Kennedy in custody on bail of €250, subject to certain conditions.

They included a demand to remain calm and not to participate in protests related to the IPA center.

The court heard another condition was to stay away from the IPA center and Trudder Road.

The defense lawyer also told the court that Ms Gregory’s case was “connected” to the case of two men accused of assault and public order in another part of the city. Both men appeared at trial with Ms Gregory.

Graham Hamilton (56) and Colin Keenan (52) are accused of assaulting a man in Main Street, Newtownmountkennedy, on May 14.

The men – who have separate addresses on Sycamore Drive in the city – will also be charged with threatening, abusive or offensive behavior in the same incident.

Neither man spoke during the hearing and their cases were also adjourned to the end of September for guidance from the DPP.

They are also free on bail, but no conditions were read at today’s hearing.

The charges of assaulting Ms Gregory and two men are the second part of the cases, which carry a maximum fine of €1,900 and six months in prison.

The maximum penalty for violating public order is a fine of €630 and three months in prison.

During today’s hearing, none of them was asked to enter a plea.

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