Two jailed Bohemians fans granted leave to appeal

Two of the four Bohemians football fans from Dublin who were jailed for three months in Derry on Wednesday after they admitted causing criminal damage to a bar and riotous behaviour, were yesterday granted leave to appeal the sentence by the same resident magistrate who jailed them.

However, before Evan Kane (20), a student from Upper Dorset Street, and Gavin James Hanly (22), a security company employee from McKee Park, can appeal their sentence, they must lodge £2,500 (€3,600) in cash with the court service in Derry.

In court in Derry yesterday, defence solicitor Seamus Quigley told Resident Magistrate Barney McElholm that he had received instructions from Kane, who was detained in the Young Offenders' Centre in Belfast, and from Hanly, who was detained in Maghaberry Prison, to apply for bail to be fixed for them to appeal the sentence.

"They have asked to be released on bail because the next available court is four weeks away," said Mr Quigley.

Mr McElholm granted the application on condition that Kane and Hanly each lodge £2,500 in cash with the court.

"I am obliged to grant them leave to appeal, but I want their addresses in Dublin to be checked and to be suitable to the police.

"In granting bail for leave to appeal, I want cash sureties from each of them for £2,500 sterling. We need the cash because if they do not turn up for future hearings, the bar owner must be compensated and if they do not turn up for future court hearings, they will lose their bail.

"Also, if they do not turn up I hope the authorities will take steps to have them arrested in the Republic and brought back in."

The other men who were jailed with Kane and Hanly are Francis O'Reilly (29), a local authority worker from Clonturk Park, Drumcondra, and Brian Shannon (20), from Ventry Drive, Cabra.

© 2007 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times