A Ukranian refugee author “tail-gated” passengers to get onto an outbound flight at Dublin Airport without a boarding pass, a court has heard.
Gardai arrested Marina Hrabar, 47, on Friday after getting an alert from Terminal 1 about the scheduled 2 pm Luxair flight LG4884 to Luxembourg.
She appeared before Judge Gerard Jones at Dublin District Court on today.
Ms Hrabar came to Ireland as a refugee to escape the Russian bombing of her home city Kharkiv. Judge Jones heard.
She had been given accommodation in Dublin's O'Connell Street area but is currently of no fixed abode.
Gardai charged her with two offences under the Air Navigation and Transport Act.
She is accused of knowingly causing a false alarm by boarding the aircraft without a boarding card for the flight. The second charge is for obstructing an authorised officer during the same incident.
Garda Emer Lawlor told Judge Jones that the accused “made no reply” to the charges.
Outlining the evidence, Garda Lawlor said Ms Hrabar “got through the barriers without a boarding pass”.
Garda Lawlor alleged she "knowingly tail-gated passengers through the airport and onto a plane, and caused an alarm on the plane".
Garda Lawlor told the court the woman then “attempted to run from an authorised officer”.
“I am not guilty,” Ms Hrabar told the bail hearing.
In evidence, and speaking in English, she explained that she was educated, a writer and could represent herself. She also claimed she had been provided with accommodation on O’Connell Street, supported by Trinity College.
The Garda said the woman had been "removed" from her accommodation in Dublin five or six days ago and now of no fixed abode.
The judge assigned solicitor Peter Keating to represent her on legal aid.
Following a consultation, he submitted that a lack of address was an insufficient reason to refuse bail. He proposed the woman could report to a Garda station in the city.
He said she might have had difficulty understanding the bail proceedings due to the language barrier.
Ms Hrabar told the court she was "under protection from Ireland" and that the Irish had been generous to her.
She agreed with the solicitor that she would look for alternative accommodation to assist her to get social welfare.
She also pledged to get her phone working so gardai could contact her.
Furthermore, Ms Hrabor agreed that she would answer bail and turn up to the court on the next date.
Judge Jones noted the "eminent author" intended to stay in Dublin, and he ordered gardai to seize her passport.
Releasing her on bail, he ordered her to come back to court on June 1 and for an interpreter to assist at the next hearing.
Court report by Tom Tuite
