A FORMER Labour and Sinn Fein Dublin City Councillor has pleaded guilty to making hoax telephone calls.

Killian Forde was a councillor with Sinn Fein from 2004 to 2010, before switching to Labour.

He resigned his seat in 2011 when he was made Chief Executive of the Integration Centre. He was also skiing correspondent with The Irish Times.

Forde told Judge Bridget Reilly in Tallaght Court that he is not working at the moment.

Forde (45), with addresses at Carndonagh Park, Donaghmede, and Sutton Park, Sutton, is accused of a hoax telephone call between October 6 and October 7, 2014, at an address at Russell Crescent, Tallaght.

He is also accused of making a hoax telephone call at an address at Homelawn Drive, Tallaght, on October 7, 2014.

Forde was not present when his case was called yesterday and Judge Reilly issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

He later appeared in court and told the judge that he had been seven minutes late. He said he had come from Bayside. The court heard that Forde had taken a previous warrant in relation to the case.

Working

Forde said he had been working in Sierra Leone and had not received the summons. He said he had got in contact with Garda Stephen Neylon and arranged to come to court.

Forde told Judge Reilly that he was pleading guilty. He refused the judge's offer of legal aid and said he wanted to deal with the case by himself. He told the judge that he was not working.

Noting Forde's plea of guilty, Judge Reilly told Forde she would put it in brackets. She adjourned the case for a month for mention.

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