Picking up a council traffic cone and driving it through a shop window resulted in a court appearance at Athlone District Court on Wednesday October 5. Darren Molloy.
Molloywith an address at Mount Carmel Drive, Moate was charged with the incident that occurred on Sunday January 10, 2011. He picked up a council cone before causing €1,150 worth of damage to a butcher’s shop window on Main Street in Moate.
Molloy has had a number of previous convictions including a five month suspended prison sentence that would have been activated had his case been heard during the summer.
Defence solicitor Mark Cooney said Molloy was very sorry for what he has done having been under the influence of alcohol. “He has since spoken to his family about arranging compensation to make up for the damage caused.”
Mr Cooney said his client had been without social welfare payments for 10 weeks and would be asking the court for more time to get a sum of money together.
“If the case was heard earlier he would have been inside the time of his suspended sentence. A hard-working butcher had to wake up the morning after and then had to pay out for his window to be replaced.
“You come to court with one hand longer than the other and not a bean to offer,” said Judge Hughes.
“You have had nine months to make some sort of compensation. He will get no more time,” added the Judge before putting the case back to second calling and told the defendant he was in jeopardy.
Darren Molloy returned after lunch and paid €500 to solicitor Mark Cooney who asked Judge Hughes that his client be given more time to come up with the remaining €650.
Molloy was then remanded on continuing bail until December 14 by which time he must have the remaining amount.
“When you pay the balance you will get a suspended sentence; if you don’t you won’t, and I hope you understand that,” Judge Hughes said .
“I will explain that to him,” Mark Cooney concluded.
