Newbridge man fails to attend Probation meetings

A Newbridge man who faces numerous charges has been warned he must attend a meeting with the Probation Service.

Nikodiem Sledz, 24, with an address listed as 41 Beechmount, Newbridge is accused of two counts of getting into a car that didn’t belong to him at Beechmount on May 9, last year. He is also charged with stealing a USB key on the Green Road on the same night.

It’s alleged that on March 17, 2017 at Victoria Bridge he was drink driving and driving with no tax or insurance. It’s alleged that on October 31, 2016 at a house in Dara Park, Newbridge he smashed a window and that on May 19, 2017 at the Tesco on the Blessington Road in Naas, he stole a bottle of Captain Morgan rum.

A report from the Probation Service was before Judge Desmond Zaidan last Thursday morning, January 18. It was short, “too short for my liking,” Mr Sledz’s solicitor Conal Boyce told the court. It essentially said that he had failed to attend a meeting with the Service.

Probation Officer Dermot Lavin told the court that this was not the first time the defendant had failed to attend a meeting. 

“I am instructed that he will comply with whatever the court wants,” Mr Boyce said and Judge Zaidan indicated he was willing to give Mr Sledz one last chance.

“We’ll go again then,” Mr Lavin said. “I’ll keep offering him appointments, but he has to turn up to them.” The matter was adjourned for another four weeks to see if Mr Sledz could manage to attend a meeting.