A 23-year-old Mullingar man who climbed up a light pole near a town nightclub, was fined €400 for a public order offence, by Judge John Neilan at the local court last week.
Stephen Nulty, Balreagh, Monilea, was convicted of being intoxicated at Dominick Place, Mullingar, on September 13 last. He pleaded guilty to the offence. Judge Neilan also made an order excluding the defendant from all licensed premises in his district court area for 12 months.
The court heard that the defendant was observed climbing up a light pole outside Mojo's Nightclub at 2.55am on that date. “Did he get far up the pole?” Judge Neilan enquired, adding “maybe there was a circus in town”. Evidence was adduced that Stephen Nulty has previous convictions for drink driving and public order offences.
Mr Robert Marren, solicitor, said his client should have known better; “It was more tomfoolery than anything else,” he said. Judge Neilan commented, “If you came down off the pole on your head, the reality of life is that your family and friends would say, 'Where were the guards?'.”
