Two men found hiding in toilets at Shannon airport given suspended sentences

Two Chinese nationals found hiding in toilets at Shannon Airport on Tuesday morning have appeared before a local court. They had arrived on a Ryanair flight from Spain without passports.
Lin Delin (30) and Li Hu (36), both of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to landing in the State without proper documentation, including a valid passport, contrary to the Immigration Act 2004 at Shannon Airport on September 10th.
Det Garda Ciaran Keoghan told Ennis District Court on Wednesday he found the two defendants hiding in the ladies and gents toilets in the airport arrivals area some time after 2am on Tuesday.
They had just come off a Ryanair flight that had arrived from Girona, Spain.
Judge Alec Gabbett said: “The issue is that they had documentation to get on to the aircraft and then it was disappeared.”
Tara Godfrey, solicitor for the defendants, said the two men are terrified. She said: “They have no passports and they come across as being very afraid and I would ask the court to treat them more compassionately.”
She said since arriving in Ireland “they have effectively been captives of the Irish people. They were placed in custody in the airport, in custody at Shannon Garda station and then in custody at Limerick Prison”.
They spent Tuesday night in Limerick Prison after being remanded there by Judge Gabbett at Kilrush District Court on Tuesday and were brought to Ennis courthouse in handcuffs on Wednesday.
“Their circumstances in their home country were profoundly cruel and difficult and they have come here to have a better life,” Ms Godfrey said.
“They have not been red flagged other than they didn’t have a passport on arrival.”
Judge Gabbett said he was “very loathe” to incarcerate anyone who appears to have no previous convictions.
He said: “They are innocents abroad effectively needing help, assistance and care from us.”
Det Garda Keoghan said the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) was to provide accommodation for them on Wednesday night.
Judge Gabbett said he hoped they had received lunch while in the care of the Irish Prison Service and was told they had a McDonald’s for lunch.
“They are not going anywhere hungry then,” the judge remarked.
He imposed a two-month suspended prison term on each of the men.