This article is from page 2 of the 2014-09-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
A MAN who pleaded guilty to a public order offence at a housing estate in Ennis has been sentenced to three months in prison.
James Sherlock (45), with an address at 41 Dromard, Lahinch Road, Ennis, admitted a charge of failing to comply with the direction of a garda.
The charge arose from an incident at the Dromard estate on March 10, 2014.
At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Mr Sherlock received sentences totalling three months. He received a one-month sentence for the incident at Dromard.
Judge Patrick Durcan also activated two months of a suspended sentence imposed last year.
Mr Sherlock is appealing the sentences. Details of the offence at Dromard were heard in court on Tuesday.
Garda Barry Comer of Ennis Garda Station told the court gardaí were called to Dromard following a number of complaints about noise.
Garda Comer said the noise from a car radio was “causing signif cant disturbance” for residents.
Garda Comer said Mr Sherlock came out to the car when gardaí entered the estate.
“He was quite unhappy with our presence,” Garda Comer said.
The court heard that when gardaí asked for the music to be turned down, Mr Sherlock turned the music up louder and warned his children not to turn it down. Judge Durcan said to Garda Comer, “he was trying to prove he was king of the castle”.
Sentencing was adjourned to Wednesday, as the offence was committed while Mr Sherlock was still under the terms of a suspended sentence.
On Wednesday, Judge Durcan activated two months of that sentence. The court was told that Mr Sherlock has 15 previous convictions including for assault and theft.
Defence solicitor John Casey told the court his client is “not the most popular man in the estate, putting it mildly”.
He said Mr Sherlock was upset that someone had complained about the noise.
Mr Casey said there a large number of houses in the Dromard estate that are rented.
Mr Casey said his client would say there are often loud parties and his client never complains about the noise.
“He was not trying to prove he was king of the castle…He reacted badly when the gardaí came up.”
Judge Durcan imposed a one month consecutive sentence. Recognizance’s were f xed in the event of an appeal in respect to both sentences.