A District Court judge has refused jurisdiction in the case of a man accused of burgling a house occupied by a pensioner in Tralee last week.
41-year-old Jamie Norman of 42 Lios Rua, Tralee, appeared in Tralee District Court before Judge Mark O’Connell.
He’s accused of burgling a house in Tralee last week, while the house was occupied by a pensioner and her grandson.
Mr Norman is accused of entering a house on Spa Road in Tralee at around half past midnight on the 27th August.
The court was told the owner of the house, a woman in her 70s, and her 25-year-old grandson, were both in the house at the time.
Mr Norman is also accused of stealing a Tommy Hilfiger wallet containing bank cards and various IDs from a car outside the same house on Spa Road.
He also faces a charge of possession of stolen property.
At Tralee District Court this week, Sergeant Chris Manton told Judge Mark O’Connell that he may want to look at jurisdiction in the case.
His solicitor, Pádraig O’Connell, said he would have a certain view regarding jurisdiction, in order to expedite matters.
Mr O’Connell said his client is entitled to the presumption of innocence, which the judge acknowledged.
Upon hearing the facts of the case, Judge Mark O’Connell said the matters are too grave to be dealt with in the District Court, and he refused jurisdiction.
This means the case will be heard in a higher court with wider sentencing powers if the defendant is convicted.
Judge O’Connell remanded Mr Norman in custody for two weeks, for the state to prepare the book of evidence in the case.
