Gardaí are advising the developer and leaseholder of the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock to refrain from pinning a written court order to its entrance due to safety concerns, a judge has been told.
The High Court’s Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy on Wednesday extended his injunctions restraining attendance from people engaging in behaviour calculated to threaten, intimidate or interfere with contractors' ability to work on the property.
In the wake of significant unrest over plans to develop the site into accommodation for migrants, leaseholder Townbe Unlimited Company and developer Remcoll Capital Ltd sought the injunctions against “people unknown” attending at the facility “for the purpose of protest” and four individuals.
The firms say more relevant people will be added as defendants as and when they can be identified. T
The court has heard large numbers regularly arrive near the property in ski-masks and balaclavas, making it difficult to identify them.
On Wednesday, the plaintiff firms’ senior counsel, Bernard Dunleavy, told the court they are in a “very difficult position” as gardaí continue to advise them to “hold off” on fixing the orders to the factory gate. He said his clients liaise with gardaí at least twice per day.
He said advertisements containing the orders were carried in two newspapers, while three of the four individuals have been served at their addresses.
Two of the defendants were candidates in the recent local elections: Kevin Coyle, of Corbally Rise, Saggart, and Leon Bradley, of Virginia Park, Finglas.
It is alleged Mr Coyle posted an online video of himself on the property on July 21st, which amounts to trespass. Mr Bradley is alleged to have posted on social media on July 21st confirming he threw rocks on the roof of the property.
The third individual with a given address is Sean Rush, otherwise known as Shaun Crowe, of Edenmore Avenue, Coolock, who is alleged to have set up the “Coolock says No” page on ‘X’ and to have incited and encouraged riots and disturbances at the property.
A fourth man was joined as a defendant as an alleged trespasser, but he cannot be named yet as his address has not been identified by the plaintiff companies.
None of the four appeared in court on Wednesday to respond to the claims against them.
Hearing about the difficulties with fixing the notices to the site, Mr Justice Mulcahy said he does not want to “trammel” on any Garda advice. He had last week permitted newspaper advertisements as an alternative method of service.
He said the injunctions could be extended, with the case to return to court in October. He gave permission for the parties to return to court earlier if needed.
Last week the court was told there have been at least six arson attacks on the premises, while two security guards and one garda have been hospitalised with injuries incurred during violent incidents at the site.
More than 20 people have been before Dublin District Court charged with public order offences relating to recent incidents. They have been granted bail on condition they stay away from the factory.
Mr Justice Mulcahy agreed to accept an anonymised affidavit from a deponent who claimed he was warned by gardaí he could be in personal danger.
The man said the chief executive officer of Remcoll had to leave the country with his family on the advice of gardaí and “in fear of his life”.
He said gardaí have advised that wrongdoers in incidents around the site are protected by certain families who have significant influence in the “Dublin underworld”.
He said a protest began at the site in late March of this year. Prior to the widely-publicised chaos and violence of mid-July, the protest was not marred by violence, but black and Pakistani security staff were subjected to racial abuse, he said.
The man said gardaí believe some wrongdoers are now using drones to drop petrol bombs to the property.
“They drop them at certain locations and then one explosion hits the next, and they have a ripple effect,” he said.
He said the contractors want to progress with plans to turn the site into accommodation for mainly Ukrainians who have fled the war.
