Hotel attack case stalls as accused hospitalised

Man charged over serious assault on woman in Dublin

Dublin Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street, Dublin
Dublin Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street, Dublin

A judge has made no order in the case of a 47-year-old man charged over a serious attack on a woman at a hotel in Dublin last week because he has been hospitalised.

Robert Melia, who is of no fixed address, was unable to come to court today because he had been brought to hospital with injuries he suffered before his arrest on Saturday morning.

He had been arrested in the Beaumont area of Dublin and was then detained at Mountjoy Garda station.

He was scheduled to appear at Dublin District Court this morning to face charges of assault causing harm to a woman and falsely imprisoning her at a north inner city hotel on May 19th.

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When the case was called Det Gda Martin McInerney asked Judge Patricia McNamara to make “no order” in relation to the charges.

“The accused is in the Mater Hospital, while in Garda custody yesterday, he was brought to the Mater for injuries he had prior to his arrest,” he explained.

Judge McNamara was told that Mr Melia’s solicitor Cahir O’Higgins had been notified.

“I have not heard evidence of any arrest charge or caution,” she said as she made no order in relation to the two charges which can be brought again at a later stage.