Up to 20 asylum seekers were involved in a major violent disorder incident at a hotel in Killarney on New Year's Day, a court heard.
Eight men, including four Algerian men and four Georgian men, appeared before Killarney District Court charged with violent disorder on Tuesday.
The court heard that up to 15 men from Georgia and a smaller group of Algerian men were involved in the incident at Hotel Killarney, which is being used as a direct provision centre, on Sunday.
READ MORE: Man's finger left 'hanging off' after knife fight at Irish hotel used for asylum seekers
The court was told that gardaí are still awaiting DPP directions in all eight cases.
Seven of the eight accused who appeared in court were granted bail.
Garda Sergeant Kieran O'Connell told Judge David Waters that the State was objecting to bail in the case of 27-year-old Fouad Mekhazni, originally from Algeria, but with an address at Hotel Killarney, Cork Road, Killarney, County Kerry.
Mekhazni, who is charged with both violent disorder and producing a knife, is alleged to have wielded the knife erratically in the course of the dispute, allegedly inflicting stab wounds to 'a number of males' each who required hospitalisation.
Detective Garda Nigel Hennessy noted the nature and degree of seriousness of the alleged offences, which he said was as a result of "a serious public order incident" on the grounds of Hotel Killarney on January 1 "involving a group of males."
"A number of males received wounds consistent with being inflicted with a knife and which required hospital treatment," the garda told Judge Waters.
The accused was residing at Hotel Killarney for the last two months and was arrested by gardaí at the scene, the court also heard.
Det Garda Hennessy also noted that the incident was captured on CCTV which he said "clearly shows the accused's involvement in the incident".
"Gardai believe the accused would be a threat to life and public safety of members of the community if he was granted bail," said Det Garda Hennessy. "It is clear from the CCTV footage that his actions were out of control".
The court also heard that gardaí had no knowledge of Mekhazni's history in his home country of Algeria, and that he arrived to Ireland in December 2021 without any passport or documentation. Gardaí are continuing to establish his identity with the help of Interpol.
Solicitor Brendan Ahern said his client denies wielding a knife, and said that the CCTV footage does not show the entire incident where '10 to 15 Georgians set upon four to five Algerians'.
"It started with a small number of Algerians being set upon by a much larger group of Georgian men," said the defending solicitor. "They were the aggressors".
Dec Garda Hennessy said the cause of the incident was still being investigated.
"My client did not instigate this," said Mr Ahern who noted that the accused was acting in self-defense.
Det Garda Hennessy said Mekhazni was "one of the main protagonists" and his behaviour was "erratic" and "out of control".
A knife was found at the hotel and forensic evidence is still being awaited.
Mr Ahern said his client had lived with his wife and newborn baby in the hotel. He was applying for asylum claiming he was being threatened in his own country. For the past year he had lived in three different centres in Ireland and had not been in any trouble in either.
Judge Waters refused bail, noting that Mekhazni "appears to be a particular concern to gardai". He will appear before the District Court in Tralee today (Wednesday, January 4th) via video link for DPP directions.
Seven other men - three from Algeria and four from Georgia - were granted bail.
They are; 31-year-old Rabah Kouidri Kouchih, 34-year-old Mounir Fadli, 27-year-old Allal Bazizt, 36-year-old Zurabi Muqtiashvili, 32-year-old Levani Guliashvili, 33-year-old Giorgi Basharadze, and 36-year-old Amiran Meparishvili, all of Hotel Killarney.
As part of their bail conditions all seven men are required to sign on three times a week at a local garda station, and stay away from Killarney.
All men have since been moved to various direct provision centres throughout the country including centres in Meelick, County Clare, Portarlington, County Laois, Termonfeckin, County Louth, and Clonakilty, County Cork, and were all remanded on bail to appear before the District Court in Killarney on February 7 as gardai awaited DPP directions.
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