INTERPOL, UK police, the PSNI and the Gardaí have all failed to establish the identity of a mysterious Englishman who is being held in custody because Gardaí can’t establish who he is.
The individual, who gave his name as Levi Johnson, has been held in custody since Thursday, October 15 awaiting charges, including possibly an allegation of holding fake ID, as Gardaí attempt to ascertain his true identity.
The young defendant insisted via video-link from prison before Judge Adrian Harris at Galway District Court on Monday, November 2, that his name is Levi Johnson but he had no address or family in the UK which can be used to verify this.
Michael Cunningham solr (defending ) admitted this was an unusual case which boils down to the fact that Gardaí did not believe his client is who he says he is.
Prosecuting Garda Sgt Damien Prendergast concurred. He explained to Judge Harris that Garda efforts to establish the defendant’s identity using assistance requests to Interpol and the UK police hadn’t as yet born fruit.
Mr Cunningham argued that this was possibly because his client had no criminal record in the UK so he would not be on any police system.
He told an earlier sitting that his client had a transient lifestyle with no fixed abode and was estranged from his family.
He asked that the next appearance of his client in Court be made peremptory against the State. This means the prosecution must either progress charges against his client or drop them.
Sgt Prendergast opposed this demand. He asked for a remand of the defendant until the November 9 sitting of the Court and for him to appear via video-link from prison again.
Mr Cunningham opposed this proposal, asking that his client be brought in person from custody to appear before the sitting. Judge Harris agreed to this and remanded the defendant in custody until then.
