The Peter McVerry Trust Company Limited by Guarantee is seeking to join Johnny Basey, also known as Stephen Bedford, as a named defendant to earlier proceedings in which it got orders requiring that certain people leave the property at 88 Lower Drumcondra Road in Dublin.
Two other named defendants had agreed to leave by the end of February, and the order also applied to “persons unknown” who were also occupying it.
Seeking short service of the proceedings on Friday, Barry Mansfield, barrister for the trust, said Basey had also signed himself as Stephen Bedford in email exchanges between him and the trust solicitors.
Stephen Bedford was jailed last year for 16 months after pleading guilty to driving a car at an anti-immigration protester, counsel said.
Judge Brian Cregan granted short service and made directions for the serving of papers on Basey/Bedford by email and by affixing a laminated notice to the door of the property.
In a sworn statement, trust director Tony O’Brien said the order against the other named and unnamed defendants was made last November.
On January 25th, in an 11.28pm email, Basey told the trust solicitors that he was resident of one of the apartments in the property and kept to himself and “don’t interact [with] other people but I heard some people who live in my building talking about having to move out very soon”.
He was also told an agreement had been made for some people in the building but he did not know what the situation was and sought clarification.
He was told about the November order and about the requirement for all those in occupation to vacate by February 28th.
He replied he was not in a position to leave by that date and he said that there seemed to be confusion with other residents as to the situation too.
O’Brien said the trust is a charity with a mission to provide housing for homeless people but by wrongfully taking possession of this property, the defendants were in effect “jumping the queue” by preventing the trust from providing shelter to those who are genuinely in need.
He was also concerned about the health and welfare of those in occupation in circumstances where he did not know what cooking and sanitary methods they are using. He was also particularly conscious of the risk of fire or some other event.
The electricity supply has been disconnected but he is concerned whether the occupants will use alternative means to power and heat the property.