Accused of stealing €8k from man’s account
“The likelihood of her engaging in these offences is extremely high,” said Garda Kevin Costello of Sligo Garda Station.
Sgt Butler also pointed out that one of the offences was committed “in front of a Garda in full uniform.”
Judge Deane offered to sentence Mills immediately so she could avail of a place on a treatment course but Mr McGovern said while he was grateful for the offer, “it won't happen because they don't have the staff. The Probation Officer in Dóchas will say it's not for her”.
Mills then apologised to the court: “I apologise for being back here today. With drink on me I'm a menace, that is the word. Please let me start with Aubrey Melville and get into treatment with him. He'll be like my sponsor,” she said.
“I have three kids, I'm a very bad example but they need me. I could lose my home being away. I thought I could drink but I can't. I will not let him or my children down. Please give me a chance,” she said.
Judge Deane agreed to grant Mills bail of €100 on condition she not commit any crime, sign on daily at Sligo Garda Station between 9am-9pm, obey a 9pm-9am curfew, not take any alcohol and stay in the supervision of Aubrey Melville and remain sober.
“If there's any chance to break the cycle we'll have to take it,” he said, but added that he didn't want the court to be taken as fools either. “If she breaches these conditions she knows what's coming,” he warned.
He also asked that in the event that Mills breached her bail conditions Mr Melville would give an undertaking to contact the Gardaí.
Two-year ban issued to delivery driver
A delivery driver caught driving under the influence of cannabis has been banned from driving for two years. Mohammed Noor (22) of Fairgreen Square, Ballisodare, appeared before Sligo District Court where he denied possessing €25 of cannabis herb on Adelaide Street, Sligo, on 27 February 2020 and denied driving with cannabis in his system on the Ballytivnan Road, Cartron, on May 13, 2021.
Sergeant Cathal Brady testified before Judge Vincent Deane that on the evening of May 13, 2021 he was on mobile patrol in a marked Garda car when he saw the accused's Vauxhall Astra driving on Ash Lane in a manner that to him appeared “erratic” by both slowing down and then speeding up.
Sgt Brady followed Noor's car onto Duck Street and then signalled it to pull over on Ballytivnan Road, Cartron which it did. The sergeant then spoke to the driver, Mohammed Noor, who had no driver's licence with him. He told Sgt Brady he had applied for a renewal. Sgt Brady then noticed the tax on the car was out. Noor was breath tested and passed. He was then asked to comply with an oral saliva test to check for drug use.
Noor completed the oral saliva test on the roadside at 10.34pm which gave a positive reading for cannabis. Sgt Brady told the court he asked Noor if he had a medical exemption certificate for the use of cannabis and he said he didn't.
Noor was then arrested by the sergeant at 10.50pm on suspicion of driving while under the influence of cannabis and was taken by a separate Garda van to Ballymote Garda Station. Noor agreed to give a blood sample to a designated doctor at the station an hour later, at 11.53pm.
The blood sample was posted to the Garda Medical Bureau of Road Safety in Dublin the following day and a cert was sent back which gave a positive reading for cannabis.
Under cross-examination by Mr Arthur Griffin BL, instructed by solicitor Ms Martina Murphy, Sgt Brady said he decided to drug test Noor because he saw that his car's tax was out and that he was an unaccompanied driver.
Mr Griffin BL asked Sgt Brady if he could explain why there were two different cannabis amounts on both his own statement and the cert from the Garda Medical Bureau.
Sgt Brady replied that the cert was the evidence before the court and he had to go by that, adding that his own statement had contained a typo error.
“This man was asked to meet a case and was given two amounts to answer on,” said the defence barrister. “The Garda is now saying that was a typographical error. This has to be beyond reasonable doubt,” he said and asked Judge Deane to strike the case out.
Judge Deane disagreed and pointed to the evidence of the cert from the Garda Medical Bureau which he said left “no room for reasonable doubt” in his mind. “It's not like the Sergeant was going to say in the stand that the Garda Medical Bureau was wrong and he was right. I'm not with you Mr Griffin,” he said.
“I don't think anyone could believe he was asked to meet two cases. That argument doesn't hold water,” he added.
In mitigation, Mr Griffin BL said his client was a “very good young man who comes from a very nice house.” He said his father was a GP in Limerick and couldn't be in court last week as he had commitments to his surgery.
The barrister said Noor was hoping to follow his father into the medical profession and work as a paramedic. He had volunteered with the Order of Malta and on 13 December worked at the scene of a fatal bicycle accident. He added that Noor had mental health issues and was recently diagnosed with ADHD, for which he hoped to start medication this month.
A man has appeared in court charged with stealing over €8,000 from another man's bank account.
Ronnie Gallagher (57) of Market House, Market Yard, Sligo, appeared before Judge Vincent Deane at Sligo District Court last week charged with stealing a total of €8,160 on 13 separate occasions between October 7, 2022 and January 15, 2023 from Mr Martin Finnegan at Bank of Ireland, Stephen Street, Sligo. The sums stolen on each occasion ranged between €200€700.
The accused told Judge Deane he wished to be tried before a judge and jury at the Circuit Criminal Court. Sgt Derek Butler told the court all matters were related and had the same injured party.
Judge Deane remanded Gallagher on continuing bail to 16 May for service of the Book of Evidence against him.
Jail sentence for smearing blood on cell wall
A homeless man has been sentenced to ten months in prison with the last six months suspended for smearing his blood on a prisoner cell at Sligo Garda Station.
Christopher Gorman (35) of No Fixed Abode, pleaded guilty before Judge Vincent Deane at Sligo District Court last week to damaging the cell walls and door at Sligo Garda Station by smearing his blood on them on 15 December last.
Prosecuting Sergeant Derek Butler told the court that on the date in question Gorman had been arrested and brought to Sligo Garda Station on Public Order charges. “He persistently hit his head off the cell door” he said, adding that Gorman then had to be brought to Sligo University Hospital for treatment to his head injuries as a result. When he returned to the Garda Station however, Gorman proceeded to smear his blood “all over the cell doors” which had to be forensically cleaned at a cost to the State of €150.
The court heard Gorman has 41 previous convictions, mainly for robbery, Public Order and thefts. Sgt Butler said that Gorman would have “serious mental health issues.”
Defence solicitor, Mr Gerard McGovern, said Mr Aubrey Melville of Social Ground Force addiction