Juvenile was accused of hijacking car

charity was hoping to get the accused into a treatment centre after whatever sentence he received.

Mr Melville then testified that Gorman's mental health issues were “caused by addictions.”

“When he's not taking substances, he's a very quiet man,” he told Judge Deane. “It's caused by his allergic reaction to alcohol. He's normal without alcohol,” he said. Mr Melville added that he'd have no problem getting Gorman into a treatment centre if he was willing.

Mr McGovern added that the accused's mother was “beside herself trying to get him help.”

Judge Deane sentenced Gorman to ten months in prison but suspended the last six months for two years on condition he engages with Social Ground Force for one year post release and not commit any further offences.

His sentence was backdated to February 15 this year.

Attacked taxi driver and smashed window

A man who assaulted a taxi driver and smashed his car window has been ordered to carry out 150 hours of Community Service.

Marius Muresanu (38) with addresses at Rathbraughan Park and Maryville Hostel, Finisklin, Sligo, pleaded guilty to assaulting taxi driver Mr Francis Fagan and damaging the rear driver side window of his car at Pearse Road, Sligo on 8 July 2022. He also pleaded guilty to being drunk and abusive at John Street Lower on November 5 the same year.

The court heard that on July 8, 2022, Gardaí received a report that a local taxi driver had been assaulted and the back window of his car smashed. The court heard that Mr Fagan had earlier collected the defendant at the Bank of Ireland in Sligo town and brought him home to Rathbraughan when he became aggressive and abusive. “He started shouting that he was from Romania and didn't care about any Irish people,” Sgt Butler outlined.

“He kept boasting he was from Romania and threatened he would burn his house down,” said Sgt Butler who added that the defendant also pulled Mr Fagan's hair while in the taxi. The judge was told that Mr Fagan drove to the Garda Station with Muresanu in the back and when he pulled up at Sligo Garda Station the defendant's legs were hanging out the car. Muresanu had been kicking the doors from inside the taxi and succeeded in smashing one of the back windows.

He was “very abusive” towards Gardaí while Mr Fagan was in a “very distressed state”.

The court then heard of a third charge dating from 7.49pm on November 5, 2022. Gardaí were on mobile patrol when they came across the accused in a “highly intoxicated” state on John Street Lower, Sligo.

Muresanu was “stumbling off the footpath” and when approached by Gardaí became vulgar towards them. He was arrested and taken to Sligo Garda Station where he was charged. The defendant had no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Mr Tom MacSharry said that at the time of the offences his client had been abusing alcohol, homeless and was “at rock bottom”.

He said that Muresanu had since given up alcohol, had secured stable accommodation and made early guilty pleas. He pointed to the fact that the Probation Services had deemed Muresanu to be at low risk of re-offending and he had made a full apology to Mr Fagan and paid him compensation. He said his client had also apologised to the Gardaí who had accepted it.

“They are very serious matters and he was assessed for Community Service and is a fit,” said Mr MacSharry, asking the court not to hand down a custodial sentence.

Judge Deane sentenced Muresanu to 150 hours Community Service in lieu of a custodial sentence for the assault and took the other offences into consideration.

Motorist pleaded guilty to drink driving

A man who was caught drink driving in Sligo town after being previously disqualified from driving has been put off the road for four more years.

Paul O'Neill (58) of Moor Road, Stewartstown, Co. Tyrone, pleaded guilty to drink driving and driving with no insurance on The Mall, Rathquarter, Sligo on 30 January this year before Judge Vincent Deane at Sligo District Court last week.

The court heard the charge of driving without insurance was withdrawn but O'Neill had a previous drink driving conviction from Donegal District Court on 1 March 2023 where he was disqualified from driving for one year.

Sergeant Derek Butler told the court that Garda Breffni O'Rourke was on patrol in town on January 30 when he carried out a roadside breath test on O'Neill who failed it.

Under cross-examination by Mr Tom MacSharry, defending, Gda O'Rourke agreed O'Neill was “a man with certain difficulties in his life”.

The court heard an aggravating factor in the offence was the fact that the accused had been driving while he was already disqualified.

Mr MacSharry said his client lived outside the jurisdiction, had three children and his wife had been involved in a serious accident. He added that O'Neill was always going to plead guilty and his financial circumstances were poor.

Judge Deane disqualified O'Neill from driving for four years and fined him €100.

Man who stole wine avoids conviction

A man who stole an €8 bottle of wine from a newsagents has avoided a conviction and been told to get his life in order.

Kealan Reid (38) of Lakeview, Loughglynn, Co. Roscommon, pleaded guilty to stealing a bottle of €8 Don Simon wine from a Centra shop on Knappagh Road on 29 June 2023.

A charge of being intoxicated in public on that date was struck out.

Reid, who had no previous convictions, elected to be tried before the District Court last Thursday.

Mr Tom MacSharry, defending, said Reid had “struggles with alcohol” and handed up a letter from the

Foxford Addiction Treatment Centre, Hope House, to Judge Vincent Deane.

He said Reid had paid for the first bottle of wine he got in Centra but had returned “highly intoxicated” and was seen on CCTV stealing the second bottle. “There was no premeditation,” he said. Mr MacSharry said his client had completed six months in Hope House and was now in after care and attending AA meetings.

He told the court Reid had been working as an electrician but was currently on sick leave. He had also brought €300 to court as compensation.

Judge Deane said it was “amazing to see someone of his age on such a charge” which he described as “ridiculous” but said he appreciated it was an alcohol addiction. The judge agreed to accept Reid's €300 as a donation to Social Ground Force addiction charity, told him to get his life in order and struck the case out.

Mr MacSharry said his client was “most grateful” to the judge for leaving him without a conviction.

Woman stole towels and hair straightener

A mother of six who stole towels and a hair straightener from a shop in Sligo town centre has been convicted and fined €200.

Anne-Marie Sweeney (34) of Finisklin Road, Sligo, pleaded guilty before Sligo District Court last week to stealing three towels and a hair straightener totalling €63 from Sports Direct on 25 February 2023.

The court heard Sweeney has one previous conviction for violent disorder in 2014.

Defence solicitor Mr Tom MacSharry told Judge Vincent Deane that Sweeney had fully co-operated with Gardaí and the goods were recovered in resaleable condition. “There was no loss, admissions were made. She has six children, the youngest being three months old,” said Mr MacSharry.

“She says she wasn't in her right mind. The fact that she had to come to court bears heavy on her,” he added.

Judge Deane convicted Sweeney and fined her €200 with six months to pay.

Hotel theft accused opts for Circuit Court

A man accused of using someone else's credit card to pay for hotel services in Sligo has opted to fight his case in the Circuit Criminal Court.

Eddie Sweeney (36) with addresses at Allingham Yard, Finisklin Road, Sligo and St Angela's Lakeside Apart Hotel, Sligo, was accused of using a credit card belonging to a Ms Bernadette Maughan to pay for €168.85 worth of food and alcohol he had accrued at the Radisson Hotel, Ballincar, Sligo on September 15, 2022, with the intention of causing a loss to her.

The accused elected to go before a “judge and jury” at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court on the charge rather than be tried at the District Court. Judge Vincent Deane remanded Sweeney on continuing bail to 9 May for DPP's directions and extended the time for service of the Book of Evidence against him on that charge.

Separately, Sweeney is also accused of stealing a Chinese takeaway worth €52.50 from Peking House Takeaway, at St Angela's College, Lough Gill, Sligo on 3 July 2022.

Sweeney is pleading not guilty to that charge also. Judge Deane remanded him on continuing bail to 2 May for a hearing of the case at Sligo District Court.

Had cocaine for sale or supply during lockdown

A man who admits having cocaine for sale or supply at his home in Collooney during lockdown has been handed down a ten-month suspended prison sentence.

Sligo District Court heard last week that when Gardaí executed a search warrant at the home of Niall Somers (38) of Kiernan Avenue, Collooney, on 24 May 2020 they found 9.5g of cocaine worth €665 as well as a quantity of the anti-anxiety prescription drug alprazolam (Xanax). Somers made “certain admissions the court heard and was subsequently accused of having possession of cocaine for sale or supply and possession of alprazolam at his home address on that date.

Somers was further accused of possessing cocaine at his home a year later, on 17 June 2021.

When Gardaí executed a search warrant on that date, they saw Somers running into the bathroom, unravel a white plastic bag and throw it into the toilet.

When Gardaí retrieved the package they found €20 of cocaine and €100 of cannabis.

The court heard Somers has 15 previous convictions.

Mr John Anderson, defending, told Judge Vincent Deane that a Probation Report had recommended Somers be placed under a Probation Bond. The court heard however, that the report placed Somers at moderate risk of reoffending.

Mr Anderson said that the drugs were for Somers' own use as he had suffered an accident when he was 17 years old and had become addicted to medication he has been on for the past 20 years.

The solicitor said Somers had two children with his partner who he lives with and helps with his own mother's care.

“This has been a very sobering factor for him. The engagement with the Probation Services is having an excellent impact on his life,” Mr Anderson told Judge Deane.

The judge sentenced Somers to ten months in prison for possession of drugs for sale or supply, suspended for two years on his own bond of

€100 on condition he obey the recommendations of the Probation Report. He convicted Somers on the other charges of drugs' possession for his own use and took them into consideration.

Drug driving accused remanded on bail

A man accused of drug driving has been remanded on bail at Sligo District Court.

Eamon Fowley (43) of Collery Drive, Cranmore, is accused of driving with cannabis in his system, of speeding and of driving without insurance at Drumderry, Castlebaldwin, on February 22, 2020.

The court heard that Fowley is also accused of failing to produce his insurance cert.

Mr John Anderson, defending, told the court that Fowley had entered a plea to the charges of drug driving and speeding but his insurance had been in order.

Prosecuting Sergeant Derek Butler couldn't confirm this however, so Judge Vincent Deane remanded Fowley on continuing bail to 14 March for clarification.

A 17-year-old boy accused of hijacking a car in Sligo last November has been remanded on continuing bail by Sligo District Children's Court.

The youth, who is under the care of TUSLA, appeared before Judge Vincent Deane at a sitting of Sligo District Children's Court last week where he was formally charged with several offences.

Garda David Finnerty gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution of the teenager at 10.56am last Thursday, February 29, at Sligo Courthouse.

He was then brought to Sligo Courthouse and charged at 4.22pm with stealing a navy Tommy Jeans jacket worth €209 from Sports Direct in Sligo town that morning.

The court heard that in response to the charge the teen is alleged to have said: “I apologise to Jennifer White.”

The boy is further accused of stealing €9.17 from Ms Grainne Davey at Davey Motors, Calry, Hazelwood Road on 19 November 2021 and with stealing diesel worth €37.69 from Mr Glen McLoughlin of Applegreen fuel station, Carraroe on 27 November 2021, when he was aged 14.

The boy is also facing a fourth charge of unlawfully seizing a car by force, driving without insurance or a licence on the First Sea Road, Sligo on 3 November 2023.

Defence barrister Mr Patrick O'Sullivan BL told Judge Vincent Deane his client was pleading guilty to the charges of stealing the jacket and the historic diesel theft charges.

Judge Deane agreed to extend bail for the accused teen on the remaining charge and remanded him to 4 April for the preparation of a Probation Report.

No licence charge struck out in district court

A mother-of-two has escaped a conviction for driving without a licence.

Laure Elisa Helene Grange of Rathrippon House, Collooney, pleaded guilty to driving without a licence or insurance disc at Drumderry, Castlebaldwin on October 15, 2020.

Mr Tom MacSharry, defending, told the court that his client's car was now gone and at the time of the offence she had lost her partner. “She's now fully compliant. This is a plea in misericordia. She's a single mother of two kids,” he told Judge Vincent Deane.

Judge Deane struck the case out.