Lockdown party-goers facing the lock up
GARDAÍ in Kerry responded to nine assaults at gatherings in the county over the Bank Holiday weekend, as groups gathered in houses and outdoor locations to celebrate despite the COVID crackdown.
A file for the DPP is also being considered in relation to a single house party in the Dingle Peninsula amid concerns about the extent of parties across the entire county.
Superintendent Dan Keane of Tralee Garda Station said that the majority of calls attended by gardaí were house parties, warning that such gatherings will be treated very seriously.
There were 12 reports of domestic violence incidents in Kerry in another worrying trend over the weekend. This increase is of major concern to gardaí as tensions rise within households while the lock-down continues.
There were also five public order offences last weekend and five drink-driving offences detected, along with eight drug detections across the county.
GARDAÍ were called to a large number of house parties across the county during the Bank Holiday weekend, despite the current strict lockdown in place. A file is being considered for the DPP following one such incident on the Dingle Peninsula.
There were meanwhile nine assaults linked to parties and gatherings over the weekend. Another worrying trend also comes in the increase in domestic violences cases with 12 such reports over the weekend.
Superintendent Dan Keane said house parties reflected the ‘ biggest number of calls’ during the Bank Holiday weekend, warning they will not be tolerated. However, he said overall most people complied with the regulations.
Gardaí in Kerry said that they also received a number of calls about camper vans in beauty spots but that by and large the planned exodus to holiday homes did not materialise after the garda campaign kicked off, although they were forced to turn back some vehicles.
Five permanent checkpoints were in place at the weekend at strategic locations into the county along with other rotating checkpoints to monitor the situation and overall there was ‘ high compliance’. Figures show there was five public order offences, and five drink-driving offences and eight drug detections.