This article is from page 12 of the 2006-04-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A HOMELESS man who was jailed for two years last month for threatening hospital staff with an imitation gun, has been jailed for a further 15 months, for separate offences.
Oliver Boylan (38), a Dublin native who has lived in Ennis for a number of years, was jailed at Ennis Circuit Court in March, after he pleaded guilty to an offence at Ennis General Hospital, in May 2004.
He appeared before Ennis District Court last Friday, on a number of charges, relating to dates in 2004 and 2005.
The court heard that on June 24, 2004, Boylan pushed a garda out of the way, while another garda was trying to arrest him.
On another occasion he refused to leave the area when directed to do so, while drinking at the Cathedral in Ennis.
Inspector Michael Gallagher said the accused was arrested for breaching a barring order, in Ennis, on June 20, 2004 and on July 15, 2004.
Defending solicitor, John Casey, said his client had an extremely difficult life, having suffered badly in a school in Dublin, at the age of 12.
He said he ran away when he was 12 and lived rough. However, despite that, he pulled through and set up his own landscaping business.
The death of his mother, when he was 30, had a “catastrophic effect” on him, said the solicitor.
“Oliver Boylan was drunk more often than he was sober. He lost everything. He lost his wife, he lost his children.
“His life has been one continuous drinking session. He had nothing to keep him off drink,” said Mr Casey.
He said that when the other case [relating to the imitation gun] came before Ennis Circuit Court in March, Boylan agreed that his only option was to go to prison.
“He has been a pain in the proverbial to the guards in Ennis,” said the solicitor.
“He will have spent his entire 30s in an alcoholic stupor. I’d ask you to leave him with some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Mr Casey.
Judge Joseph Mangan imposed two six-month sentences, for two separate offences under the Domestic Violence Act and a three-month term for an offence under the Public Order Act.
He must serve the sentences, on top of the two-year term he is currently serving.