This article is from page 36 of the 2006-07-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
AN ENNIS man convicted of criminal damage and theft has had his sentence reduced on appeal, after his solicitor asked that he be afforded ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’
Jamie Clune (28), of John Paul Avenue, Ennis, was jailed in the District Court for 11 months, along with two nine-month terms.
Referring to one of the incidents, Sergeant Michael Haran told Ennis Circuit Court that Clune stole prescription forms from a doctor’s surgery and attempted to use them to obtain drugs in a number of pharmacies in Ennis.
He told the court that since these cases were dealt with, the accused has been convicted of possession of a knife, failing to appear in court and for a public order offence, and was sentenced to 12 months in jail, at Ennis District Court in May.
Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey said while her client didn’t “expect to get a non-costodial sentence,” she was asking for light at the end of the tunnel.
Judge Carroll Moran said, “These are serious matters.
“He has got a lot of convictions. I can’t roll them all in and not give some extra punishment for these matters.”
He said he would reduce the 11-month term to nine months, and that would run concurrently with the two nine-month sentences imposed in the District Court.
He said this would run consecutively to the 12-month sentence imposed for possession of a knife, bringing the total to 21 months.
“The intention is 21 months, which is the appropriate discount,” said Judge Moran.