IT student woke up in locked bar on night out

AN IT Sligo student was apprehended by gardaí after he set an alarm off in a bar that he had woken up in.

Kevin Mills of Brookville, Carraroe appeared before Sligo District Court where it was heard he activated the alarm of Lillie’s Cocktail Bar after waking up in the premises at 5.20am on April 1st last.

Garda Noel O’Donnell and a colleague were on foot patrol when they were alerted to the alarm of the bar on Bridge St and saw the 19-year-old leaving the premises.

The gardaí got a strong smell of cannabis from Mills and while trying to search him a struggle ensued. Two bags containing a total of €30 of cannabis and a cannabis grinder were recovered.

It was then established that Mills had fallen asleep in the bar and woke up to find it empty.

Defending solicitor Gerry McGovern explained to the court that staff of the bar had finished up work on the night in question and had gone home without realising Mills was there, and gardaí had then assumed he had broken in.

Mr McGovern said his client was studying a pharmacy course at IT Sligo and was working part time to fund this. He added, that like many college students he had been using cannabis herb.

“You won’t see him before court again, he is a good young man. He knows he made a mistake,” said Mr McGovern.

Speaking to the court, the student’s father said his son was ‘ hard working’ and that the family were ‘completely against drugs’.

Judge Kevin Kilrane said though he may have been ‘ half asleep or awake’ he did not cooperate with the search on the night.

The judge noted that Mills was endeavouring to enter the pharmacy profession and said a drugs conviction would be ‘nailed to his CV for life’. Instead of imposing a conviction, Judge Kilrane ordered the student to pay a donation of €300 to Hope House and struck out the matter.

Meanwhile, a 43-year-old woman has been told alcohol and other substance will not help her deal with arising issues in her life. Helen Farrell of 71, John St, Sligo was in court for threatening and abusive behaviour and failure to comply with the direction of gardaí on April 15 th, 2018.

Farrell was upset and irate outside Blind Tiger Bar when she was refused entry. She was shouting at bar staff and later kicked out at gardaí and had to be handcuffed in the patrol car following her arrest.

Defending solicitor Tom Mac Sharry said his client had ‘ long-standing issues’ with alcohol and had done well for long periods of time. It was outlined that Farrell had 23 previous convictions. The matter was put back to April 14 th next, awaiting a Probation Report and Judge Kevin Kilrane told her to ‘ keep herself in order through this difficult time’.