A YOUNG GAA player who broken a man’s jaw following an assault outside a chip shop had his sentencing adjourned for a second time for a Restorative Justice Programme Report.

Balbriggan District Court was informed that there was a mis-communication with the Probation Services and the Restorative Justice Programme report on Samual McGuinness was not ready.

McGuinness (23) assaulted Patrick Butterly outside the Little Chip takeaway in Rush resulting in Mr Butterly receiving a broken jaw, nine stitches to his eye brow and three stables to the back of his head.

Mr Butterly previously told Balbriggan District Court that he lost 10kg in ….read more

Young driver who rear-ended vehicle panicked and left the scene court hears

A YOUNG man who rear-ended another vehicle while driving his Audi A4 ‘panicked and left the scene’ of the collision, Balbriggan District Court has heard.

James Reid had told his mother what had happened and she brought him to the garda station the following day where he admitted the offence.

Reid (23) of Mourne Park in Skerries pleaded guilty to a number of road traffic offences including hit and run, failing to stop, failing to provide information, failing to keep the vehicle at the scene and failing to report the incident ….read more

Man stole petrol after serious threat made on his life, court hears

A MAN who stole petrol from a service station and nearly knocked down a pump attendant as he sped away claimed a serious threat on his life made him agitated at the time and he panicked.

Jerry Flynn (25) had tape covering the number plate of his car when he went to the Great Gas Service Station in Donabate.

Flynn of Ballyowen in Lucan was given a three month suspended sentence, fined €200 and disqualified from driving for two years.

When he filled his car up with nearly €60 of petrol, a ….read more

A GRANDFATHER with 215 convictions who broke into a Co Dublin hotel and stole alcohol has been given a six months sentence.

Chronic heroin addict, Raymond O’Hara’s offending spirals out of control when he takes drugs, Swords District Court has heard.

O’Hara (47) of St Mary’s Mansion in Dublin pleaded guilty to burglary at Portmarnock Hotel on Strand Street in Portmarnock, Co Dublin on December 11th, 2012.

Sergeant Anthony Nulty gave evidence that at 7am O’Hara gained entry into the hotel through a fire door.

He went behind the bar and removed €280 worth of alcohol. Sgt Nulty said the whole incident was captured ….read more

(Pictured: Judge Dermot Dempsey)

A MAN who was arrested for drink driving after his car ended up in a ditch and then urinated outside a garda station has been given community service in lieu of a prison sentence.

Rafel Dec has also been disqualified from driving for three year and fined a total of €600.

Dec (27) of The Green, Main Street in Rush pleaded guilty to drink driving at Whitestown Road in Rush and refusing to sign the intoxilyzer certificate at Balbriggan Garda Station on June 22.

Sergeant Tony Tighe gave evidence at Balbriggan District Court that gardai came across Dec sitting in ….read more

Woman with mental health problems who stole items from supermarket blamed her menopause

A WOMAN suffering with mental health problems who stole gardening equipment from a Balbriggan supermarket blamed her menopause for committing the offence.

Catherine Smith past all the points of payment and left Tesco at Millfield Shopping Centre with €213 worth of gardening items.

Smith (45) of Ringfort Close, Balrothery in Balbriggan pleaded guilty to the theft of the items on June 11th.

Her solicitor told Balbriggan District Court that Smith has started her menopause and has ‘never done anything outrageous’ such as stealing the items before.

‘They were all gardening items and ….read more

A MAN who drove his car after he had a couple of glasses of wine with his wife at dinner and stormed out after an argument has been disqualified from driving for two years.

Raymond Hoey’s wife had called gardai after the 45-year-old drove off under the influence of alcohol on November 6th, 2013.

Hoey, of Glasmore Park in Swords Co Dublin was stopped by Garda Karen Kilcullen at 7.35pm at Glasmore Park and was arrested as he attempted to get out of the car.

He gave a blood sample of 139mg/100ml.

Defence solicitor Fiona D’Arcy told Swords District Court that while having dinner ….read more

Assault charges withdrawn after ‘agreement of division of blame’

TWO men charged with assaulting each other after one of them allegedly threw a pint glass at the other had their case withdrawn at Swords District Court.

Kieran Kennedy (34) of Rivervalley Court in Swords is alleged to have assaulted Shane Langan causing him harm at Raffs on the Corner bar in Skerries on July 20th last year. He is also alleged to have assaulted Ann Langan on the same date at the same place.

Shane Langan (24) of Mourne View in Skerries is charged with assaulting Kieran Kennedy at the same place on ….read more

A WOMAN wanted to withdraw an assault allegation against her partner claiming that it is against her religion to make a complaint against him – in what a judge called a ‘peculiar situation.’
Maria Covaci told Judge Dermot Dempsey at Balbriggan District Court that she wanted the charges against her partner, Ioan Lucaciu, withdrawn as she did not ‘want to be punished by God.’
Lucaciu (22) of Dublin Street in Balbriggan is alleged to have assaulted Ms Covaci at their home on June 10th.
Ms Covaci took to the stand and told Judge Dempsey the reason for withdrawing the complaint was because as ….read more

Man sentenced to four months for driving one year after driving ban

A MAN who drove his car only a year after he received a four year driving ban has been further disqualified and sentenced to four months in prison.

Edwin Akandu (44) received a four year driving ban in July 2012 for a driving offence he committed in May 2007.

Akandu of Castlemartin Avenue, Eastham Road in Bettystown pleaded guilty before Balbriggan District Court to driving while disqualified, having no tax and insurance and no driving licence when he was stopped by gardai on October 31st, 2013 at Drogheda Street in Balbriggan.

The ….read more