DISTRICT COURT ROUND-UP

Car forfeited to the State

A silver coloured Vauxhall Vectra was formally forfeited to the State as a Police Property Act application was considered by Judge John Cheatle at the District Court in Wexford.

The sergeant who moved the application noted that two people had been notified - James Sinnott of Hawthorn Cottage, Sparrowsland, Bree and Margaret Connors, of Rosemount, Drinagh.

Neither was present to oppose the move.

No proof of insurance cover

Failure to produce evidence of motor insurance led to a District Court appearance for Larry Hanrahan (26) of 1 Rosehill Heights, Rosslare Strand.

Hanrahan was pulled up by a garda at Island Road in Enniscorthy on February 13 and asked to bring his documents to the barracks of his choice. The self-employed block layer failed to do this, incurring a fine of €50 when the matter was dealt with by Judge Gerard Haughton sitting in Gorey.

‘Very strange’ case struck out

Theft of a €1 bottle of Lucozade from a Wexford supermarket led to a District Court appearance for Paul Bergin from 6 Donovan’s Wharf, Wexford. The unemployed defendant was apprehended by staff at Pettitt’s soon after he left the store on the afternoon of August 2.

He had paid for €16 worth of other groceries and he admitted the theft.

Solicitor Tim Cummings observed that bringing the case had already cost the State considerably more than €1. Judge John Brennan agreed that this was a very strange prosecution when there is so much serious crime out there. The matter was struck out.

Careless driving

A motorist who sustained a broken sternum and crushed ankle in a collision also had to face prosecution for careless driving.

Accused Kathleen Donegan (65), 4 Oaktree Rise, Wexford was unfamiliar with the area where the accident occurred, the District Court was told. In light of the injuries, Judge John Brennan reckoned that Ms Donegan had already been punished to some extent.

A fine of €300 was handed down, with six months allowed for payment.

€200 donation

A drugs possession case taken against Dan Cullimore (40) from 4 Farnogue Terrace was dealt with in the absence of the accused at the District Court in Wexford.

Solicitor Tim Cummings stood up when the case was called to explain that his client works on trawlers and was in Seattle at the moment.

Cullimore was caught with €30 worth of MMC (mephedrone). An offer of €200 for a good cause of the judge’s choosing was available, said Mr Cummings. The judge nominated the Cornmarket Project.

Man admitted taking wine

A resident of the men’s hostel at Ozanam House in Wexford dealt with a shoplifting prosecution at the District Court in Gorey.

Marek Szczypinski admitted taking a €10 bottle of wine from the Apple Green in Gorey on New Year’s Eve.

The defendant was described as a 26 years old former hotel worker and unemployed.

Solicitor Ed King said that his client was homeless and drinking heavily at the time of the offence. The case was adjourned to a Wexford sitting of the court in order to allow Szczypinski pay compensation to Apple Green.

Testing car

Luras Zilionis (19) from 93 Ard Uisce, Wexford was fined €300 in the District Court for a motor insurance offence committed in April.

The court was told that Zilionis was testing a car – a small Honda Civic – which he considered buying on the date in question.

The accused was described by the judge as a hard-working young man and allowed eight months to pay a €300 fine.

Fined €300 for selling pills

Michael Godkin (49), address given as the Ozanam House hostel in Wexford, was fined €300 for selling prescription drugs said to worth €20 per tablet on the street.

He was seen passing a pill to a friend at Oyster Lane on July 31 last year.

Gardaí found he had a blister pack of a drug called alprazolam, which his solicitor Nigel Allen said is commonly known as xanax.

Mr Allen added that Godkin was on a methadone programme and had been clean of drugs for the past 14 months.

Case struck out

James Byrne from Sunset View, Maudlinstown, Wellingtonbridge agreed to make a €50 donation to the Vincent de Paul rather than incur a drugs conviction. Byrne was caught with €50 worth of cannabis herb at the Bosheen in New Ross on August 31 last year.

A sum of €50 was produced immediately once Judge John Cheatle had nominated the charity. The matter was then struck out and the defendant was assured by the District Court clerk that a receipt for the money would be posted out to him in due course.

TV licence fines

Prosecutions by An Post of householders in the Rosslare area whose TV licences were not in order led to convictions and fines handed down at the District Court: Ronan Kavanagh of 109 Hazelwood, Bridgetown, fined €160; Kelly Allen of 51 Portside, Rosslare Harbour, fined €160; and Teresa O’Reilly of 16 Commodore Barry Park, Rosslare, fined €100.

In each case, Judge John Cheatle added an order requiring offenders to pay €61.50 costs

Slipped wine under jacket

A 34-year-old man who attempted to steal a bottle of wine by hiding it under his jacket was offered an opportunity to avoid a criminal conviction. Ian Tormey, 8 Commodore Barry Park, Rosslare was apprehended after the offence occurred at Apple Green in Drinagh on October 23 last year.

Judge John Cheatle suggested that a contribution of €100 to the garda benevolent fund would be appropriate as the case was put back to November 20 to allow Tormey pay up.

€150 fine in cocaine case

A conviction for possession of cocaine was imposed on Dean Somers (30) of 12 Rathlannon Drive, Piercestown at the District Court.

The case dated back to October of 2015 when Somers was found to have €220 worth of cocaine and €85 worth of the drug PVP at his home. The defendant assured Judge John Cheatle that he was now off drugs before a fine of €150 was recorded.

Previous convictions

Previous convictions counted against Kelly Quinn (29) of 32 Shanna Court, Coolcotts as she faced prosecution in the District Court for possession of cannabis herb.

Judge John Brennan learned that €100 worth of the drug, found in two bags, was seized at the defendant’s home in March of this year.

Solicitor Ed King acknowledged that his client had convictions in the past for similar offences, imposed back in 2012.

Mr King also said that Ms Quin still smokes cannabis occasionally. A fine of €300 was imposed, with six months allowed for payment

No valid tax disc

Bridget Connors (23) of 60 Melrose Court, George’s Street, Wexford incurred a fine at the District Court for failure to display a valid motor tax disc.

Garda Eddie Nolan told the court how he spotted the offence at the Newtown Road in Wexford on the afternoon of June 15, 2017.

The disc had expired late in 2016 and Ms Connors told him at the time that she had bought the vehicle the day before. However, she was not in court to make a formal defence.

Judge John Brennan dealt with the matter by setting a fine of €300, with four months allowed for payment.

Defendant now free of drugs

A drugs possession prosecution of 32-yearold Eoghan Kehoe from 98 North Main Street, Wexford, was struck out after the District Court was told he is now free of illegal substances.

He was found at 12A Waterloo Road (his former address) on November 3, 2016 to have €100 worth of cannabis for his own use.

Judge John Brennan learned that Kehoe received a suspended sentence in the Circuit Court for another drugs offence.

Solicitor Helen Murphy said that her client had been addicted to cannabis since he was a teenager but he had now turned over a new leaf.

The judge accepted that things had changed dramatically for the defendant recently, striking out the proceedings.