Supervisionbond

A 36-year-old man up on a number of public order charges, has been placed on a supervision bond after his case was reviewed.

Paul Smyth, Millgrange, Greenore, previously admitted the offences which arose out of separate incidents going back to 2018.

He was charged with being intoxicated in public and having a Swiss Army knife which had a sharply pointed blade at Millgrange on 3 September, 2018; being intoxicated in public and engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour or words at Millgrange on 14 November, 2018.

The defendant had also pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in public at Millgrange on 24 January, 2019; and again at the same location on the following 21 April when there was also a charge of engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour or words.

The final matter concerned being intoxicated in public in Park Street, Dundalk, on 21 January of this year.

The court heard Smyth has eleven previous convictions of a similar nature.

An updated probation report was handed in, and after reading it Judge McKiernan placed the defendant on a supervision bond for 12 months, subject to conditions set out in the report.

She made that order in respect of the Section 6 public order charge on 21 April, 2019; and took the other matters into consideration. from CCTV.

On 22 April, he trespassed at a property in Priorland Villas, and stole a lawnmower and wheelbarrow. The lawnmower was not recovered.

The next day, Christodoulides damaged the rear window of a car which cost €200 to repair.

On 25 April he was spotted on CCTV getting into a Nissan Qashqai. A purse and €15 cash were taken.

The accused was also caught on camera removing a €70 jacket and back-pack from a white Scania lorry which was making deliveries at Lidl, Avenue Road, on 30 April.

At Lidl, St Helena, on 7 May, he took two bottles of alcohol without paying; while on 31 May, in the Langfield estate, he was ‘highly intoxicated’ and shouting abuse at gardaí.

There are 87 previous convictions, the sergeant added.

Ms Kelly said her client had a very difficult childhood before being returned to his mother at the age of 18. She passed away last year.

He turned to drugs, having started at the age of 13 or 14 ‘because it was the thing to do’. This offending was to fund his drug habit. The solicitor added when Christodoulides comes out of custody he falls back into the same way of life. He doesn’t want to go back to that vicious cycle.

He has been in custody since 1 June last and is clean and sober. He has engaged in a drugs programme and seeks a similar programme on the outside.

However, Judge McKiernan noted ‘significant’ previous convictions, and said he had been given opportunities before.

She took his plea of guilty into account but had no option but to impose custodial sentences.

Four consecutive four-month terms were handed down, the last two months suspended on the basis the defendant enter a probation bond and adhered to all recommendations of the probation service.

The sentence was back-dated to 1 June. Legal aid was granted.