A pair of twins who got into a drunken scuffle with a third party who disrupted their sister’s party, were each given the benefit of the Probation Act when the judge heard how neither had any previous convictions.
“A case of the terrible twins?” asked Judge John Lindsay, when brothers Paul and John Ward (20 ) from St Brendan’s Court, Loughrea, Co Galway appeared before him to plead guilty to a pair of public order offences each.
The court heard from Inspector Nicholas Farrell how gardai on patrol in the Willow Park area on April 5 were called to a disturbance at a house in Alverno Drive where they saw a fight taking place.
“The two defendants were shouting and roaring in an aggressive manner, and when asked to leave didn’t,” said the inspector.
“Too much tea, perhaps, Inspector?” enquired the judge.
Their solicitor, Dara Hayden, explained how his clients had gone to a party in their sister’s house, where there was a third party abusing their sister.
“It was her who called the gardai. This third party pulled a knife and was arrested,” said Mr Hayden.
When he heard how the pair had no previous convictions between them, he gave them the benefit of the Probation Act, the mildest available censure to a District Court judge.
