This article is from page 2 of the 2014-12-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
after a court heard he was “acting the maggot” in an Ennis supermarket.
James O’Grady (37) was in a drunken state when gardaí were called to a public order incident at Lynch’s Centra on the Gort Road, Ennis District Court heard on Wednesday.
A schedule of Mr O’Grady’s arrest, charge and caution was handed into court by Inspector Tom Kennedy.
Legal aid was approved for defence solicitor Daragh Hassett, who told the court his client was pleading guilty to the charges.
Mr O’Grady, with an address at Gort Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace or being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace may be occasioned.
He further admitted a charge of being intoxicated in a public place to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that he might endanger himself or any other person in his vicinity.
The charges arose from Mr O’Grady’s behaviour at Lynch’s Centra on November 30, 2014. Insp Kennedy told the court that at around 8.45pm on the night in ques tion, Mr O’Grady, in a drunken state, entered the shop and started shouting at staff.
The gardaí were called and Mr O’Grady left after being asked to do so.
Insp Kennedy said that a short time after the gardaí left, Mr O’Grady returned to the shop.
“He got verbal with the staff and made a general nuisance of himself”, Insp Kennedy explained.
The court heard the gardaí returned to the scene and Mr O’Grady ran to the rear of the shop.
Insp Kennedy said, “He tried to evade the gardaí by hiding in the shop and generally acting the maggot”.
The court heard Mr O’Grady, an unemployed painter, has previous convictions for public intoxication and drink driving.
Mr Hassett told the court his client had recently been injured in a fall from horse.
He said on the night of the incident, Mr O’Grady had consumed Nurofen and alcohol.
He agreed Mr O’Grady had “acted the maggot” but has since apologised for his behaviour.
“He is highly embarrassed”, Mr Hassett added. Judge Durcan imposed a € 250 f ne for the breach of the peace offence. Judge Durcan said he was making the order due to Mr O’Grady’s previous convictions. He struck out the intoxication charge.