Compensation forpubwindows

Two men who admitted smashing windows at a pub have been given the opportunity to do community service instead of a jail sentence.

29-year-olds Dean Kearney, 19 Yorke Street and Glen Reenan, 7 Gort Nua, Station Road, Castlebellingham, admitted causing €490 worth of damage to two windows at Murnaghan’s Pub, Louth Village on March 28.

In addition, Kearney admitted driving off without paying for fuel at Applegreen on July 19.

Solicitor Conor MacGuill, for Kearney, said his client had paid for half the damage, along with Reenan, and a receipt had been furnished to them from Murnaghan’s.

In relation to the ‘drive off’, Mr MacGuill explained that Kearney had put fuel in the car and had gone into the store and bought a mineral, but left without paying for the fuel.

He was, Mr MacGuill said, on his way to the Lourdes Hospital and when the non payment was brought to his attention, he went to Applegreen and paid the €60 on August 22. Kearney has not been in trouble since 2013.

Solicitor Frank McDonnell, for Reenan, said this is the ‘first time in a long time’ his client had been in trouble and Reenan’s partner is expecting a child. He has stayed off drinking to excess and is looking for work.

Reenan, the court was told, as has 45 previous convictions including for criminal damage and public order. Judge Brennan adjourned the cases to October 26 for community service suitability reports, recommending 100 hours instead of three months for Reenan and 150 hours instead of six months for Kearney. ble for a few months is nothing to celebrate!’

He adjourned the case for further review to December 21 and told the defendant: ‘ You will not be having a happy Christmas if you get into trouble between now and then and you’d want to attend all the appointments you are given too’.