Council candidate arrested outside polling station in Stamullen

A candidate in the local elections for the Slane Electoral Area of Meath County Council was arrested outside a polling station in his home area of Stamullen on polling day and taken before Drogheda Court to face charges dating from 2001. The case against James Carey (26) of Preston Hill, Stamullen, was called at the court on Friday morning. A medical certificate was presented to explain his absence but Judge Flann Brennan said that he was not satisfied with the certificate and issued a warrant for his arrest. Just after 3pm, Carey was brought into court by Gardai. He stood as an independent in the Meath County Council elections last Friday, polling 734 first preferences before being eliminated on the seventh count in the Slane Electoral Area. Last month he was arrested and brought before the court at which time the case was adjourned until last Friday. He is accused of assaulting two people, causing them harm; dangerous driving, unauthorised possession of a firearm and reckless discharge of a firearm. The offences are alleged to have happened at Gormanston or Stamullen in February 2001. When the case came before the court on Friday morning, his solicitor, Mr Patrick Branigan, said his client was to have been in court and a book of evidence was to have been served on him. He was not in court but he (Mr Branigan) had a medical certificate which was handed to Judge Flann Brennan. When Carey appeared in the court, he said he wanted to address the judge briefly. He said that he was a candidate for the elections in the Slane Electoral Area and had been arrested three weeks before the election. In his view, his arrest had been 'contrived to put me into custody'. He said that when he was young, he had been involved in a serious accident in which he had suffered serious injuries and post traumatic stress disorder. He had made it quite clear to his solicitor that he was involved in the election and he had told him this would be communicated to the judge. He was trying to help people in his community, he added. He had treated this case with as much respect as possible. 'Please give a young man a chance to help the people of Stamullen, Gormanston, Laytown, Bettystown....' Judge Brennan said that the medical certificate had not given any reason why the accused should not be in court. The accused said: 'I"m not disputing my actions but the timing was unfair. I asked my lawyer to relate this. I give you my personal pledge I will be here.' Garda Inspector Pat Marry said he would like to refute any allegation that Carey"s arrest had been contrived. He said the medical certificate presented had shown 'total contempt' for the court. The certificate was for one day only. The accused said that if his arrest had not been contrived, why had he so openly canvassed his home area for the last year. He had knocked on 10,000 doors. 'I"m the chairperson of the Stamullen Comunity Alert Committee which was organised with Sergeant Dooley. In God"s name, I couldn"t be more visible. Why the timing? I"m not refuting this charge, I"m refuting the timing. It is a laughing stock.' Judge Brennan: 'You"re making a political speech, I can"t allow that in my court.' Accused: 'I withdraw that.' After Judge Brennan cancelled the arrest warrant and adjourned the case until next week, Carey said he felt aggrieved at having to withdraw the remarks about his arrest. Judge Brennan told him: 'You have used this court as a platform for whatever political cause you have.'