This article is from page 18 of the 2010-01-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
A MAN who repeatedly shouted across a courtroom has been jailed for seven days for contempt.
The ruling was made in the case of Derek Malone after he failed to de- sist from shouting at Ennis District Court on Friday.
Malone (46), of Millstream Court, Mill Road, Ennis, was charged with public order offences, but did not appear in the courtroom when his case was called. However, it was then brought to the attention of his solicitor Tara Godfrey that he was outside. He was then brought into the courtroom, where he was asked why he had not been present earlier. He said he was told, by a garda, that he was not due in court and was told to go home as his name was not on the court list.
‘He told me to go home,” he said repeatedly.
He was given the chance to apolo- gise to the court, which he did, but continued to shout aloud. When he was warned about his conduct, he said, “Send me to jail then because I’m homeless and I want to go to jail because I can sleep.
“Tm an alcoholic. From my heart I apologise,’ he said. The packed courtroom erupted in laughter at Malone’s comments and Judge Joseph Mangan told him, “You can entertain them all in Limerick.”
He jailed him for seven days for contempt.