A third person has been arrested and charged in the investigation into public disorder in Longford Town last week. The man in his 30s appeared before Longford District Court yesterday charged under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. The most recent arrest follows the appearance of a husband and wife in court last week in connection with the same incident in which a man received stab wounds.
David Joyce and his wife Winnie Keenan, both of 35 Palace Crescent, Ardnacassa in the town appeared in Mullingar District Court on Friday where Mr Joyce was remanded in custody and his wife released on bail. The incident on Thursday morning the 10th of October saw Patrick Stokes allegedly assaulted in the Deanscurragh area receiving a number of injuries including a stab wound that resulted in him being airlifted to hospital in Dublin where he underwent abdominal surgery. Following searches of a number of properties in the wake of the incident, Gardaí recovered a number of items such as slash hooks, a machete, shovels and a samurai sword. The incident was connected to ongoing feud violence in the travelling community with Gardaí stating in court that they are of the "firm belief" that the feud is "far from over and there will be reprisals from both parties.' Gardaí are continuing their investigation into the incident and the wider feud.
