A judge has ordered the arrest of a Ukrainian refugee author who allegedly "tail-gated" passengers to get onto a flight at Dublin Airport without a boarding pass.
Marina Hrabar failed to answer bail by not turning up for her scheduled appearance at Dublin District Court on Wednesday.
On Friday, gardaí arrested Ms Hrabar (47) after receiving an alert from Terminal 1 at the airport about the scheduled 2pm Luxair flight to Luxembourg.
Gardaí charged her with two offences under the Air Navigation and Transport Act.
She is accused of knowingly causing a false alarm by boarding the aircraft without a boarding card for the flight. The second charge is for obstructing an authorised officer.
On Saturday, she was granted bail at Dublin District Court and was due to appear again on Wednesday; however, she did not turn up.
Judge Alan Mitchell acceded to Garda Emer Lawlor's request to issue a bench warrant for her arrest.
Fleeing war
Garda Lawlor told the court Ms Hrabar "had been reminded on numerous occasions over the last number of days to be here today".
Judge Mitchell suggested gardaí provide disclosure of prosecution evidence to her solicitor Peter Keating, who said he could not oppose the garda's application for a bench warrant.
During Saturday’s bail hearing, the court heard Ms Hrabar came to Ireland as a refugee to escape the Russian bombing of her home city, Kharkiv.
Garda Lawlor had said the accused "made no reply" to the charges.
Outlining the evidence, Garda Lawlor said Ms Hrabar “got through the barriers without a boarding pass”, adding that she "knowingly tail-gated passengers through the airport and onto a plane, and caused an alarm on the plane".
Garda Lawlor alleged the woman then "attempted to run from an authorised officer".
“I am not guilty,” Ms Hrabar had told the bail hearing.
In evidence, she explained she was educated and could represent herself. She also claimed she had accommodation on O'Connell Street, supported by Trinity College.
However, the court heard she had been "removed" from last week and was now of no fixed abode.
The court granted legal aid and assigned a solicitor to represent her.
Mr Keating had submitted that a lack of address was an insufficient reason to refuse bail and proposed that the woman could report to a Garda station in the city.
Ms Hrabar had told the court she was "under protection from Ireland" and that the Irish people had been generous to her.
She agreed with the solicitor that she would look for alternative accommodation to assist her in getting social welfare and also pledged to get her phone working so gardaí could contact her.
Ms Hrabar also said she would answer bail and turn up to the court on the next date.
Gardaí were ordered to seize her passport.
