A MOTORIST threatened he had coronavirus and tried to spit at and bite gardai when he was stopped on suspicion of drink driving and asked for a breath sample, it is alleged.

Radu Timoc (51) also told garda he was "in the Romanian mafia" during the incident in Dublin city centre.

Judge John Cheatle refused him bail and remanded him in custody, saying he could not risk the accused making good on his alleged threats.

Mr Timoc, with an address at Harrington Street in Dublin 8 is charged with seven offences arising from the incident.

He is accused of careless driving, two counts of refusing to provide breath samples, resisting a garda, threatening to kill or cause serious harm to two members of the force and violent behaviour in a garda station.

Garda Ruth Finnegan told Dublin District Court she arrested the accused for the purpose of charge at Irishtown Garda Station yesterday and he made no reply to any of the counts after caution.

Objecting to bail, she said gardai on duty last night saw a car being driven erratically at Merrion Square North. It mounted a kerb while attempting a left turn and swerved across two lanes of traffic, narrowly avoiding a cyclist.

The garda signalled the car to stop and it did, but then jolted forward again and she placed the patrol car in front of it.

When spoken to, the accused became agitated and refused to provide a roadside breath specimen. He then started to threaten the gardai that he had coronavirus and he was "in the Romanian mafia," Gda Finnegan said.

It was alleged he attempted to spit at and bite a garda who was there.

The court heard the garda believed the accused was a danger to An Garda Siochana and members of the public.

Gda Finnegan did not agree with defence solicitor Eoin Lysaght that Mr Timoc might have "got carried away" after drinking too much. He said the accused did not bite or spit at anyone.

Gda Finnegan said this was because he was restrained. She agreed that his attitude was now different and he had quietened down but reiterated her fear that the accused would attempt to spit at gardai or members of the public if released.

Mr Lysaght said his client when stopped should have obliged the gardai and should have done what he was asked to do.

"He may have misunderstood what the garda was saying," he said.

Mr Timoc was working full time in construction.

Judge Cheatle said due to the current Covid-19 crisis, he could not take the risk that the accused might make good on his threats to bite or spit at members of the gardai or the public.

Refusing bail, he remanded the defendant in custody to appear in court again on Friday.

Online Editors