Three men charged following shooting of two Kilkenny school children
Allegation: Five injured with shot from pellet gun
Following the alleged shooting of two school children in Castlecomer, with a pellet gun, three men have appeared before Kilkenny District Court.
The students are among five alleged victims of pellet gun shootings in the Castlecomer and Carlow areas.
Before the court were Michael Cash, Ballycondra, Ballyragget; Michael McDonagh, 150 The Laurels, Tullow Road, Carlow; and Patrick Ryan, 73 New Oak Estate, Carlow.
Mr Cash is charged with five counts of assault causing harm - at Barrack Hill, Castlecomer; at Barrack Street, Castelcomer; two counts at Tullow Road, Carlow; and at Pollerton Road, Carlow. All charges date to September 9, 2024.
Mr McDonagh is charged with two counts of assault causing harm at Tullow Road, Carlow; and one count of assault causing harm at Barrack Hill, Castlecomer. All are alleged to have occurred on September 9, 2024.
He is also charged with one count of assault causing harm at Pollerton Road, Carlow, on August 30, 2024.
Mr Ryan is charged with five counts of assault causing harm. Four of the charges are alleged to have occurred on September 9, 2024. One count at Barrack Street, Castlecomer; one count at Barrack Hill, Castlecomer; and two counts at Tullow Road, Carlow.
A detective garda told the court that on September 10, 2024, gardaí were made aware of two incidents at Barrack Street, Castlecomer. Two school children reported being hit by what they suspected was a pellet from a pellet gun, from a passing vehicle.
Over the next few days five people in total were identified as injured parties in the same incident, the garda said.
CCTV from an area 300 metres from where people had been injured was inspected.
The garda said the injured parties had been left with red marks on their skin, with the pellet causing the skin to break in one case.
Given the nature and volume of the incidents, Judge Geraldine Carthy said it was a case that must go before the circuit court. The matter will now go back to the Director of Public Prosecutions for consent.
The three defendants were remanded on bail to a court sitting later this month.