A 76-year old County Clare man has pleaded guilty to assisting in the unlawful entry into the State in March of last year of a 22 -year old woman he met online.
At Ennis Circuit Court today, Roger Bishop of Little Thatch, Crown, Lissycasey, Co Clare pleaded guilty to the assisting unlawful entry into the State offence at T1 at Dublin airport on March 1st 2024 which is contrary to 6.1. of the Criminal Justice Smuggling of Persons Act 2021.
Mr Bishop was only returned to trial from the district court for the offence in April and today entered his early plea of guilty to the offence.
Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (Instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) said that the plea to the single count is acceptable to the DPP on a full facts basis.
Ms Comerford said that a nolle prosequi will be entered in relation to a second charge – and this is where the State will not be proceeding with that charge.
Counsel for Mr Bishop, Kenneth Kerins BL (instructed by solicitor, Colum Doherty) asked that the legal aid certificate be granted to cover a GP’s report for the sentencing hearing and Judge Francis Comerford granted the application.
In March, Judge Gráinne Malone declined district court jurisdiction after hearing an outline of the facts in court from Det Garda Karen Barker from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
Declining jurisdiction, Judge Malone said: “I appreciate that it is somewhat marginal but in all of the circumstances particularly the age discrepancy between the two and the element of preparing a fraudulent ID card I am refusing jurisdiction.”
Giving an outline of the facts, Det Garda Barker stated that on March 1st 2024, Mr Bishop travelled to Turkey where he met a female.
She said: “He purchased tickets and a French ID card and assisted her in travelling to Dublin airport where he presented his passport and the French ID card with her details on it and gained entry.
Dt Garda Barker said: “It was subsequently found that the French ID card was false in the name of the female. She is 22.”
The nationality of the woman was not disclosed in court.
Asked by Judge Malone how did Mr Bishop come to meet the woman who is 53 years younger than him, Det Barker said: “They were in an online relationship.”
Asked by Judge Malone where is she now, Det Garda Barker said: “She subsequently claimed asylum. She attempted to leave the jurisdiction in May-June and Luxembourg returned her back to Dublin airport on the false French ID card she had gained entry with previously.”
Asked by Judge Malone did Mr Bishop stand to make any financial gain, Det Barker said: “No judge – she was culpable. She wanted to come to Ireland and she got in a relationship. He basically thought he was in a relationship with her but when she arrived here, it didn’t go to plan.”
Det Garda Barker said that “it wouldn’t be one of the more serious cases we have dealt with”.
Det Garda Barker said that the DPP had directed that the case be dealt with in the district court. Judge Malone said that the DPP has the benefit of all of the papers in this case but said that she was refusing jurisdiction.
Judge Comerford remanded Mr Bishop on bail to Ennis Circuit Court to May 30th to fix a date for sentence.
