A 63-year-old former garda has questioned legal and identity issues surrounding his prosecution on a charge of assaulting a private security guard at the repossession of a farm near Strokestown in Co Roscommon.
Kevin Taylor, with an address at Ardnacassa Lawns, Longford, was charged with the assault of Ian Gordon at Falsk, Strokestown on 11 December 2018.
When the case was called before Judge Mary Cashin in the District Court this morning, Mr Taylor raised issues surrounding the identity of the accused.
Standing up and speaking to the body of the court, Mr Taylor asked repeatedly if there was any man or woman present who said he had done wrong.
"I am Kevin Taylor, the common man, but who is Kevin Taylor, the legal fiction?" he asked Judge Cashin and the court, waving what appeared to be a birth certificate to the court.
"I require any man acting as a prosecutor to now place their hand on the shoulder of the accused."
Judge Cashin said there was no legal obligation on any person to do this and she repeatedly asked Mr Taylor to confirm if his name and address was the same as that on the summons for the court.
Sgt Mark Mahon said the case against Mr Taylor had been adjourned last May to allow for full disclosure of the evidence to take place.
He said gardaí were now in a position to present Mr Taylor with the file, but Mr Taylor told the court he was leaving.
"I am leaving now because no man or woman in this court says I have done wrong.
"If I am ordered to be brought back before the court I demand an appearance fee of a million euro," he said.
Before Mr Taylor left the courtroom, Judge Cashin said she was acceding to a garda request for the case to be adjourned until 25 March 2020.
Mr Taylor then left the courtroom with a number of supporters.
