A Norwegian businessman accused of taking a bin lorry on a drunk-driving rampage in Dublin city centre woke up naked on the street with no memory of the night’s events, a court heard.

Rune Skinnarland (55) had been in the capital on a business trip before he allegedly got into the lorry and drove it into the door of a shop and an apartment building, causing thousands of euro worth of damage.

Mr Skinnarland, from Norway but with an address at a city centre hotel, appeared in court in custody last week after being arrested on Wednesday.

Judge Bryan Smyth granted him €2,000 cash bail and adjourned the case for the DPP’s directions to be made available.

Mr Skinnarland is charged with unauthorised use of a truck belonging to a waste company, drink driving in it and causing criminal damage to its passenger door, back bumper and front passenger side light.

He is charged with three other counts of criminal damage: to the front electronic pedestrian gate at the entrance of an apartment building’s lobby, the wooden frame of the front door of a Dealz shop, and a steel path bollard.

The offences are all alleged to have happened at Liffey Street Lower.

Dublin District Court heard the prosecuting garda arrested the accused and brought him to Store Street station. His reply to one of the charges was “I’m shocked” and he made no reply to the rest.

The court heard the total value of the damage alleged to have been caused was not known at the moment but was estimated at €4,000 to €5,000.

The garda initially objected to bail, saying he had been told the accused would be flying back to Oslo.

Applying for bail, defence barrister John Griffin said a colleague of the accused had come to court and €1,000 in cash was available to be lodged. He also had bank cards and money in his account.

He would return to Ireland if granted bail, Mr Griffin said.

Mr Skinnarland was “a businessman and a family man” with no convictions and had been here on a business trip.

Mr Griffin said the accused would say “something happened” on the night. He was out consuming alcohol and went back to his hotel and “next thing he wakes up naked on the street”.

Mr Skinnarland had no previous issues with sleepwalking and “thinks his drink may have been spiked”.

“He’s shocked at what’s alleged against him,” Mr Griffin said.

Judge Smyth granted bail on a number of conditions.

Mr Skinnarland, who has not entered pleas to the charges, is due to appear in court again on a date in November.

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