A man with “an appalling record” went to jail for four months this week (January 30 ) after being convicted of another four public order offences.
Thomas Nestor (20 ) from Battery Heights, Athlone was in court to plead guilty to the offences, committed on August 31 on Dublingate Street, where he was “very drunk, aggressive and abusive” and on October 12 in Battery Heights, where he had a drunken row with his ex-girlfriend at 11.25am and “he had to be restrained and arrested after a struggle”.
As he had pleaded guilty, the court could hear how Nestor had 14 previous convictions for public order offences since December 2006 as well as one for assault and one for carrying an offensive weapon.
“He is admitting his involvement,” said his solicitor, Mr Mark Cooney, “but he has no recollection”.
“He had a particularly acrimonious break-up in his relationship.”
Mr Cooney told the court Nestor was now on a FAS course and was accompanied to court by his mother.
“It is quite an appalling record,” Mr Cooney conceded, before seeking a suspended sentence.
Judge David Anderson was not persuaded with this course of action and sentenced him to two months on each of the Section 6 charges, to be served consecutively.
He took the two Section 4 charges into consideration and set an independent surety at €2,000 if Nestor wanted bail to appeal his sentence.
