Galway Advertiser 2003/2003_01_23/GA_23012003_E1_024.pdf 

Extracted text

In t h o c o u r t s
C l a r e g a l w a y resident

Hapless car thieves drove car to owner's workplace
Two young men drove a car they had stolen right back to the place where its owner worked and were seen in the car by the owner's work colleagues, Galway District Court heard this week. William McDonagh (18), 173 Castlepark. Galway, pleaded guilty to interfering with the car on June 6 last at Ceannt Station, and with allowing himself to be carried in the stolen car. In a separate incident, McDonagh pleaded guilty to shooting a man in the leg with a plastic pellet from an air gun after he was refused admission to the Omniplex, Station. The car was taken from the car park and driven the wrong way up by the front of Ceannt Station. Two of Mr Murphy's work colleagues happened to be looking out when they saw two youths in his car and they called the Garda. "So they drove it straight to the owner," Judge Garavan observed. Garda Sweeney said music was blaring from the car and the youths were later arrested at the back of St Patrick's Hall. Inspector Declan Gannon said that on June 10, McDonagh was refused admission to use the toilet in the Omniplex and he produced an imitation firearm and hit a staff member on the leg with a plastic pellet. A heavy smoker was given a health warning as well as a The court heard such fine and disqualification at Galway District Court this guns are freely available but week, after she claimed she was unable to blow into an are deemed to be firearms intoxilyzer when stopped on suspicion of drink driving. under the Firearms Act. Mary Cassidy, 2 Mac Dara Road, Shantalla. was stopped Defending solicitor, Sean on August 10 last year by Garda Darren Egan and arrested O'Carroll said his client had on suspicion of drunken driving. She was taken to the Garda gone off the rails for a short Station where she failed to give a sample of her breath by time when the offences blowing into an intoxilyzer machine. occurred but was now back Defending solicitor. Olivia Traynor, said her client was a at home with his mother and behaving himself. heavy smoker and could not give a breath sample because of this and because she was nervous and traumatised at being McDonagh, he said, knew arrested. "The shock of it all made her very nervous and the pellet would not harm panicky and that is why she couldn't give the sample," Ms anyone. He asked for a Traynor saidprobation report on his Judge John Caravan said this was surely a warning to the client. accused to give up smoking. Her physical state was such Judge John Garavan thai she couldn't give a breath sample, he said. "Let it be a remanded McDonagh on warning to her. She should cut down on her smoking or stop continuing bail to March 3 altogether." he advised. and ordered a probation He then convicted and fined bar 2 5 0 for failing to give a report for that date. sample and postponed the mandatory two-year disqualification until April 1, at the request of Ms Traynor. Galway Retail Park, on June 10 last. He also pleaded guilty to having the 6mm calibre air sprung pistol in his unlawful possession, and to a breach of the peace on the same date. Garda Gerry Sweeney said that on June 6 a car was taken from the Great Southern Hotel which belonged to a Mr Murphy, who worked in Ceannt

w h o threatened to k i l l father, gets suspended sentence f o r assaulting his f o r m e r partner
A CLAREGALWAY resident was given a suspended prison sentence at Galway District Court this week for assaulting his former partner. He also received a discharge from a number of other charges on condition that he carry out all directions of the probation services and keep the peace for two years. Fergal O ' C o n n o r , 135 Riveroaks, Claregalway, was charged with breaking into the family home, from which he was barred, and threatening to kill his father on October 26. 2001. He was also charged with assaulting Garda Kenneth Clancy and Garda Muiris Quinn when they were called to the house and with obstructing Garda Clancy. O'Connor was further charged with assaulting his former partner and he pleaded guilty to that offence when evidence was first heard in the case on November 20, 2000. The court heard that the accused had threatened to shoot his father and it was believed he would carry out this threat if granted bail. O'Connor had been receiving psychiatric treatment in the past in Galway and St Brigid's Hospital, Ballinasloe, and was in need of continued treatment, the court heard. O'Connor had been supported by his family and was granted bail at the rime on condition that he reside with a friend at Moycullen, co-operate fully with all medical treatments in the meantime, comply with the directions of the probation service and remain away from his father's house. A favourable report was handed into the court this week and Judge John Garavan said it was time to finalise the matter which had been going on for a long time. He sentenced O'Connor to four months for the assault on his former partner, suspended for two years and granted a discharge on the remaining charges, on condition that O'Connor enter into a probation bond for two years on his own surety of 2,000, keep the peace for two years, and carry out all directions of the probation service in that time.

Former Christian Brother remanded on 60 Letterfrack sexual abuse charges
A 62-year-old former Christian Brother who faces 60 charges involving the alleged sexual abuse of 10 boys at Letterfrack Reformatory in Connemara during the 1960s, was remanded on bail this week when he appeared before Galway District Court. The 62-year-old accused who lives in Co Louth is facing 36 charges of indecent assault and 24 charges of buggery. He first appeared before Dundalk District Court last week and was remanded on continuing bail in Galway yesterday on his own surety of 2 , 7 0 0 and one independent surety of 9,000. He will appear before the court again on February 24. It is understood the charges against the former brother, who is the fifth person to be charged as pan of the investigation to date, relate to 10 complainants and that the DPP is considering charges against 17 others.

Heavy smoker was unable to give breath testcourt heard

Knife-carrying heroin addict broke into ICE training centre, court told
A Dublin heroin addict smashed his way into a Galway city centre premises in a desperate bid to find cash to feed his habit, Galway District Court was told this week. Darren Carroll (25), from Crumlin, in Dublin, came to Galway in December 2001, and again in January, March, April and May, 2002, to break into premises at night to look for cash or any goods he would later sell in Dublin to feed his heroin addiction. He has been addicted since the age of 14. Detective Colman Finnerty gave evidence that Carroll went on a crime spree, smashing his way into unoccupied buildings late at night. On April 16, 2002, he broke into ICE training centre in Fr Griffin Road. He was carrying a knife but fled when confronted there. He came back on April 22, broke in again and stole a mobile phone worth 300. On the same night he broke into a shop in Fr. Griffin Road and stole 3 , 0 0 0 of cigarettes and cash. He then returned to Dublin and sold the goods for cash to buy heroin. Detective Finnerty said Carroll broke into an office block in Merchant's Road, Galway in April and gained access to a number of different offices there. On one night alone he broke into seven different premises in a desperate bid to get cash. He was successful in a premises in Church Lane, where he stole 490 cash in May, 2002. He also stole property from a hairdressing salon in Forster Street, worth 5 0 0 , a further 125 from a premises in Francis Street, and 120 from another premises in Abbeygate Street, but he was unsuccessful in finding cash or anything to sell in four other premises around the city. The court heard Carroll is currently serving a five-year sentence for other offences. Imposing a total of 24 months' imprisonment on the various charges. Judge Garavan said he could not exceed that length of time in the District Court and the sentencing was "academic" as Carroll is serving five years already.

t3E Four Star Pizza
E R A V E N U

SPECIAL
OFFER EXPIRES

THIS
31ST JANUARY

585444
OPEN FROM 12 NOON 7 DAYS A WEEK

BUY ANY 12" OR 16" PIZZA AND GET A SIMILAR PIZZA FOR 1/2 PRICE