A man named Ross Lahive appeared in Cork Court after being charged with possession of a knife. The charge against him stated that on August 26, at Bridewell Garda Station in Cork, he had a knife in his possession, which is a violation of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.
During the proceedings, Judge Olann Kelleher questioned Lahive about legal representation. Lahive informed the court that his solicitor was in Donegal. The detective who arrested him then objected to bail, expressing concerns that Lahive might not show up for his trial.
Judge Kelleher assigned solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher to represent Lahive in his bail application. The judge recognized that if the bail application was unsuccessful, Lahive could potentially be remanded in custody for seven days. Lahive revealed that he was currently unemployed and receiving €220 in Jobseekers Allowance.
Det Garda Russell went on to charge Lahive with failing to appear in court on September 4, to which Lahive replied, I thought that was next week. Lahive made the same response when faced with the charge of possessing a knife at the Bridewell on August 26. However, Det Garda Russell expressed doubts about Lahive genuinely forgetting his court date in just nine days.
Solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher called Lahive to the witness box to provide evidence and address the prosecution’s concerns about his reliability if granted bail. Lahive assured the court, I will turn up the next date, absolutely.
Judge Kelleher imposed certain conditions on Lahive’s bail, including requiring him to reside at his home address on Church Street, provide his phone number to Det Garda Russell, and be contactable at all times. However, the judge rejected an application by Sergeant John Kelleher, who requested that Lahive sign on at Mayfield Garda Station three times a week.
Sgt Kelleher mentioned that the case is suitable to be heard summarily at Cork District Court. The hearing was adjourned until October 3, and it is possible that there will be further adjournments to determine a date for the hearing.
It’s worth noting that an online video captured an incident where Ross Lahive confronted Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran McCarthy at the North Main St carnival on August 26. The confrontation seemed to be related to a library protest. In the video, Lahive asked whether the mayor knew who he was, to which McCarthy responded, Yes, I’ve been waiting for this. The Lord Mayor then performed a spirited rendition of Oh What a Beautiful Morning from the musical Oklahoma.
