‘Bizarre incident’ of drunk man in Courtown garden

Judge Kevin Staunton was called upon to adjudicate on what he called a bizarre incident where a man with a previously impeccable record arrived in the garden of a private house in Courtown in a drunken condition.

Stonemason Carlos Ferreira (37) of 1 Riverchapel Drive in Courtown was discovered by gardaí confronting the householder in the garden on the morning of Sunday, October 9 in 2016.

Sergeant Colum Matthews told Gorey District Court how they had to separate Ferreira from the owner of the property.

The defendant resisted arrest, kicking out and swinging his hands. The sergeant acknowledged that the accused man returned to the barracks to apologise for what occurred as soon as he was sober.

The defending barrister revealed that his client is of Portuguese origin, resident in Ireland for ten years, and father of two.

Judge Staunton accepted that Ferreira had not been in any trouble before or since the bizarre incident in the garden, so he decided to offer an opportunity to leave the clean record intact. The defendant was told that, once €500 is paid to the garda benevolent fund by November, the matter will be struck out.