A judge has struck out a prosecution against a Norwegian businessman who was accused of taking a bin lorry on a nude drink-driving rampage in Dublin city centre.
Rune Skinnarland, 55, had been in the city for a business trip before he allegedly got into the lorry and drove it into the door of an apartment building, causing thousands of euro worth of damage on 4 September last year.
Mr Skinnarland, from Norway but with an address at a hotel in Dublin, had been granted bail after he lodged €2,000 last year.
His case was back before Dublin District Court but he did not have to attend. The case had been marked peremptory against the State.
A direction for disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence had been made by the court at an earlier stage. However, counsel John Griffon submitted that there had not been full compliance with the evidence order.
Judge Bryan Smyth acceded to the barrister's application to strike out the case against his client.
Mr Skinnarland was charged with unauthorised use of a truck belonging to a waste company, drink-driving in it and causing criminal damage to its passenger door, back bumper and front passenger side light.
He was also charged with three other offences of criminal damage to front electronic pedestrian gate at the entrance of an apartment building's lobby, the wooden frame of the front door of a Dealz shop, and a steel path bollard.
The offences were alleged to have happened at Liffey Street Lower.
Earlier, the court heard gardaí arrested the accused and brought him to Store Street Garda Station.
His reply to one of the charges was "I'm shocked" and he made no reply to the rest.
He had told the court through his barrister that he had no memory of the events and thought his drink might have been spiked.
He had claimed he went back to his hotel and "next thing he wakes up naked on the street".
