DISTRICT COURT ROUND-UP
From our reporter at Sligo Courthouse
Man, 23, charged with having drugs for sale or supply
A young Mohill man who is charged with having drugs for sale or supply in Sligo had a book of evidence served on him, at last Thursday’s district court. Twenty-three-year-old Eoin Heaney, Drumgowna, Mohill, is charged with possession of MDMA for sale or supply at Ballinode on April 9, 2018. He is also charged with possession of the drug to the value of €810 for sale or supply on the same date and at the same location.
The defendant is charged with possession of N-Ethylpentylone for sale or supply to the value of €13,000 at Mulberry Park, Sligo, on April
18, 2018. He is also charged with possession of that same drug for sale or supply on the same date and at the same location.
The defendant is charged with simple possession of the same drug on the same date and at the same location. And he is charged with possession of ketamine, possession of MDMA and possession of cocaine on the same date and at the same location.
Garda Karen Martin gave evidence of serving the book of evidence on the defendant.
Sergeant Derek Butler applied for a return for trial to the next sitting of Sligo Circuit Court on June 15. Judge Kevin Kilrane reminded the court of a recent relevant High Court decision.
The case was put back to January 28 for a plea or a contest. The defendant was remanded on continuing bail until that date.
22-year-old man stole wallet while on drinking spree
A young Manorhamilton digger driver, who came up with a sum of €2,300 for charity after pleading guilty to stealing a wallet and using credit cards to buy items while on a drinking spree, was given the Probation Act for stealing the wallet at Sligo District Court.
At an earlier sitting, 22-year-old Stephen Loughlin, Cloonlougher, Manorhamilton, pleaded guilty to charges that he stole a wallet and credit cards belonging to another at Kelly’s Bar, Ballygawley, on December 7, 2019.
He also pleaded guilty to using a bank card at the Miner’s Bar, Derrynavogey, Arigna, to the value of €22.10 on December 8. He pleaded guilty to an identical charge that came to €10. And he pleaded guilty to an identical charge at Applegreen, Pearse Road, Sligo, to the value of €27 on December 7. He admitted a similar charge at McDonald’s, Carraroe, on December 7 to the value of €8.60.
At last Thursday’s sitting, defence solicitor Mr Burke said his client had originally came back from England to deal with the case. He had pleaded guilty to all charges.
The last court ruled that if he came back with €1,500, the court would only deal with the theft of the wallet from the bar.
The defendant had since found work in Sligo and had brought the sum of €2,300 to court in the hope the court would deal with the matter other than a conviction.
The solicitor said the offences were totally out of character as the defendant, who has been diagnosed as bipolar, had been going through a difficult time in his life and had been resorting to alcohol and had excluded himself from his family. He was no longer drinking and was taking his medication.
The young man had aspirations to go to the US or Australia as he is a digger driver. He had owned up and made an early guilty plea.
The defendant had one previous conviction for no insurance, but he was a young man who would not be before the court again and there was no previous conviction for anything like the matter before the court.
Sergeant Derek Butler told the court the defendant was identified on CCTV at McDonald’s and was arrested on April 15, 2020, and made full admissions.
When Judge Kevin Kilrane asked the defendant for an explanation for stealing the wallet, he said: “I am very sorry. I was not thinking straight with drink. It was a very stupid thing to do and I won’t do anything like that again.”
Judge Kilrane said that Loughlin was at the Miner’s Bar, Arigna, on the following day “spending money like a drunken sailor” and using credit cards to pay for the alcohol. “Were you not thinking straight the next day?” asked the judge.
The defendant repeated that his head had not been in the right place due to alcohol.
He lived with his aunt in Manorhamilton and had been working on the new road in Sligo until recently. He was not working at present but was looking for work in Dublin. He told the court he was the eldest in his family.
Mr Burke said the family had fully supported him.
“That is some example to give to younger siblings,” said the judge. The court was told that compensation was also in court for the injured party.
Judge Kilrane said he had a view that thefts like this were nasty because when a person is out socialising, they are relaxed and do not expect their wallet to be stolen from the bar. He said the offence spoke of the character of the person who steals in that fashion.
A wallet was not just for holding money but was a personal thing and the theft was a “serious invasion of privacy” and was “opportunistic”. And then the defendant went off on a spending spree on alcohol while out of his mind in drink, which was probably the case.
A mitigating factor was that the defendant co-operated immediately when he was questioned by gardaí and had owned up to this “nasty offence”.
He had brought €2,300 to court and there would be a lot of pain gathering that amount of money and he had paid back €100 compensation to the injured party.
The judge said it was a big ask to leave the defendant without a conviction, but he was prepared to do so with “serious reservations”. If convicted, it would be nailed to the defendant’s CV for the rest of his life and would affect his employment chances and his character.
The judge said the defendant “just about made my largesse and I will give you a chance on this occasion”. The defendant was given the Probation Act on charge of stealing the wallet and credit cards and the remaining charges were struck out. Mr Burke said the defendant was most grateful and would not be before this court or any other court again.
The €2,300 was split up between SVP in Manorhamilton, Drumshanbo and Sligo, North West Hospice, and Carrick-on-Shannon CCTV Company.
Charge of assault on another man on Rockwood Parade
A Dublin man has been returned for trial to the next sitting of Sligo Circuit Court, at the district court. Ogagwa Nwagiriga, 25, from Cushlawn Close, Tallaght, is charged with assaulting Bartoz Zukowski, causing him harm at Rockwood Parade on March 3, 2018.
Garda Karen Martin gave evidence of serving the book of evidence on the defendant last Thursday. Sergeant Derek Butler applied for a return for trial to the next sitting of Sligo Circuit Court on June 15.
Judge Kevin Kilrane told the court that a recent High Court decision meant that if there was an early plea before going to the Circuit Court, it could be “of benefit” to defendants. And a defendant could make that decision after getting a look at the book of evidence.
Once the book was served on the defendant, he should be further remanded to allow him to look at the book of evidence.
Defence solicitor Tom MacSharry said this matter was going to be contested.
Legal aid was granted for one counsel and the defendant was remanded on continuing bail until June 15.
A suspended jail term for man on a ‘sheaf of charges’
A Sligo man who smashed a wine bottle against the window of the public office in the Garda station, causing wine and blood to splatter all over the screen, hatch and counter, has been given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for the two years, at the district court. Forty-four-year-old William
Kelly, with addresses at Garavogue Villas, Sligo, and Kiernan Avenue, Collooney, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage at the station on October 25 last as well as using threatening and abusive behaviour at that location on the same date. These were just two of a “sheaf” of public order and theft offences to which he pleaded, which happened last October, June and July, along with a public order offence in June 2019.
The offences happened at Kiernan Avenue in Collooney, Centra in Collooney, Tesco in Sligo, Garavogue Villas, Sligo University Hospital and Sligo Garda Station on dates between June 12, 2019, and October 30, 2020. Kelly pleaded guilty to nine different offences in a spree of public order, theft and criminal damage offences that happened last October. Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern said all of these matters had to do with his addiction to drink.
He added that the Probation Service was happy that the defendant was trying to come to terms with his issues. But it was difficult for him to get into a treatment centre in the current pandemic.
Judge Kevin Kilrane told the court that he had a “sheaf of charges”. He told the defendant that “this nonsense has to stop”.
The defendant said he did not want to be coming in front of the court. He said it was not a laughing matter any more – he had three children and he was trying to get them back. Sergeant Derek Butler said the defendant had 44 previous convictions mainly for public order and theft offences.
The defendant admitted that he had a “disgraceful and appalling record”.
The judge jailed Kelly for a total of six months for six different offences, but suspended them all for two years, and took the remaining offences into consideration.
He told the defendant: “Mr Kelly, you have your problems. Deal with them. Everyone has their problems and they deal with them.”
The jail sentences were suspended on condition that the defendant had no conviction for an alcohol-related offence, criminal damage or any larceny offence.
The defendant said: “That is more than fair. Thank you very much.”
37-year-old given a suspended 3-month prison sentence
A Sligo man with severe addiction issues has been given a three-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, at the district court. Thirty-seven-year-old Dean
Mahon with addresses at Racecourse View, Cranmore, and Kiernan Avenue, Collooney, pleaded guilty to stealing €50 from Darren Owen on November 20 last year at Racecourse View. He also pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to a Garda van by cracking perspex in a cell door in the van on November 11. The defendant also pleaded guilty to using threatening and abusive behaviour in Wine Street on November 19. And he admitted a charge of stealing alcohol worth €15 on November 13 at Centra on Castle Street. And he pleaded guilty to being drunk and a danger to himself and others at Wine Street on November 19.
Defence solicitor Tom MacSharry said his client “had a good Christmas” and had been clean and sober. He had re-engaged with Aubrey Melville’s Social Ground Force and had reached a civil understanding with his wife.
All of the matters before the court were alcohol related and he was dealing with it.
Judge Kevin Kilrane gave the defendant a three-month jail sentence suspended for two years, on the grounds that he had no convictions for any indictable offence – that is, criminal damage, illegal drugs or public order offences – apart from being drunk and a danger to himself and others.
The defendant was released on his own bond of €100.