*The matter was before Ennis District Court.
A 75-year old Clare man provided a fraudulent French ID card to a 22 year old woman he met online in order to assist her to gain illegal entry into Ireland last year, it has been alleged in court.
At Ennis District Court, Roger Bishop of Crown, Lissycasey, Co Clare appeared in court charged with two smuggling related offences connected to the alleged illegal entry of the woman, who was living in Turkey at the time, into the State in March 2024.
Solicitor for Mr Bishop, Colum Doherty told Judge Grainne Malone that his client wished to enter guilty pleas to the two charges.
However, Judge Malone told Mr Doherty that before she could accept the guilty pleas, she had to decide on the issue of court jurisdiction in the case.
After hearing an outline of the alleged facts in court from Det Garda Karen Barker from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), Judge Malone declined jurisdiction meaning that the case will now be transferred to the circuit court where more serious penalties apply on conviction.
Judge Malone said, “It is a serious offence”.
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, it will be alleged that 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 twenty two”.
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.
Mr Bishop – who turns 76 in May – is charged with possessing a fraudulent French ID card at T1 at Dublin airport on March 1st 2024 with the intention of assisting another person entry into the State in breach of Section 5 of the Immigration Act 2004 contrary to Section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons Act) 2021.
Mr Bishop is also charged with on March 1st 2024 at T1, Dublin Airport with intentionally assisting the entry of another person into the State which was a breach of Section 5 of the Immigration Act contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Act 2021.
A Book of Evidence will now have to be prepared for the case to go to the Circuit Court and Judge Malone further remanded Mr Bishop on continuing bail to appear before Ennis District Court to April 23rd.
