Drugs court for defendant

A man who was homeless at the time he was found trespassing at apartments in Dundalk town centre had the case against him adjourned to the drugs court in Dublin this week.

Nathan McKeown, (23), whose address was given as care of Dundalk Simon, admitted, at an earlier sitting of the district court, to trespass at the Old Library apartments at Chapel Street on November 18 and to public order offences at Barrack Street two days later.

Gardai went to Chapel Street after a member of the public complained about noise and found McKeown at the back the flats. He didn’t live there and he was found to have a stone in his pocket when he was searched.

Two days later, Gardai were with McKeown again after they received a report about a man acting aggressively at Barrack Street. Gardai said the defendant was ‘very, very intoxicated and agitated’ and he was arrested for public order offences.McKeown, who has no previous convictions, had been living at the Simon Community, solicitor Frank McDonnell said. He added that his client had been ‘well looked after’ by the charity and McKeown is now living back at home.

‘He has left that period of his life behind. He is living with his mother and he feels stronger now to get back to the way of living. These incidents happened because he was homeless’.

The case had been adjourned to last week for a probation report. Mr McDonnell said McKeown’s ‘level of co-operation with the probation service was less than it should have been’.

He added the defendant’s partner is expecting their second child and ‘he’s not a man of means’. Mr McDonnell said: ‘He didn’t respond as well as he should have done to the offers of help that were given to him’.

The solicitor said McKeown has a ‘drink and not very extensive drug problem’.

Judge Coughlan said: ‘ You have a drug problem and I am suggesting sending you to the drugs court in Green Street on Wednesday next. The drugs court will pay your expenses for going down’.