*The case was heard at Ennis Circuit Court on Friday.
IRISH DJ, DJ ‘Frankie Beats’ credited with getting Gardai involved in the online viral dance challenge Jerusalema has told a court that he is guilty of harassing a Clare hotelier three years ago.
At Ennis Circuit Court today (Friday), Boyle native, Frankie Shanley (46) told Judge Francis Comerford that he is guilty of harassing Derek Logue of the Bellbridge House Hotel near Spanish Point in 2019.
Mr Shanley has been on remand in prison for the past five months concerning the case.
Speaking via video link from prison, Mr Shanley told Judge Comerford: “I am accepting that I am guilty and that I did harass Derek Logue on those dates, no matter what happened outside of that, I did harass him and I am taking responsibility for that”.
Judge Comerford told Mr Shanley, “I am accepting you are accepting responsibility for the offence and you will get credit for that”.
Mr Shanley told Judge Comerford that it is his preference to formally enter his plea via video-link from prison as he is afraid of contracting Covid-19 during any prison-court transfer.
He said, “I am afraid of Covid-19. I had TB in 2011 and I was always told that it could be re-activated by a virus.”
He said, “The Prison Authorities do their best but with being moved to holding cells in court and meeting potentially other prisoners, I have a concern that something could happen”.
During an earlier bail hearing concerning the case, solicitor for Mr Shanley, Daragh Hassett stated that Mr Shanley has been working as a DJ in Greece and Albufeira for the past couple of years and has remained trouble free.
Mr Hassett said that Mr Shanley of The Abbey, Bridge Street, Tralee, Co Kerry has turned his life around and was credited here for getting the Gardaí involved in the erusalema online viral dance challenge.
Mr Hassett handed in an Irish Examiner news feature on Mr Shanley that included a photo of Mr Shanley with Cliff Richard and Bonnie Tyler during the course of his DJ work.
In evidence at the bail hearing, Mr Shanley said that while overseas in Greece and Portugal “I was working full time. I was working very, very hard. I loved it. I was told that I would never amount to anything after everything that happened, but I didn’t give up”.
Court rules allow applications to be made via video link from prisons and concerning Mr Shanley’s application to be arraigned via video-link, Judge Comerford said that he wasn’t sure if he had the power to allow it “as I have a significant qualm that calling an arraignment an application does violence to language”.
Judge Comerford said that he was sympathetic to the application “and I don’t want that to be the reason to bring Mr Shanley to court when he has real concerns about his health”.
Judge Comerford adjourned the case to next Wednesday to Ennis Circuit Court.
