A solicitor told a Court that his chronic alcoholic client, who had 52 previous convictions for public order offences, usually for being drunk in public, was a “nuisance but not a menace”.
Philip Kalwile, residing at Fairgreen Hostel, was again brought before Galway District Court this week on public order charges. In total he has 62 previous convictions.
At a sitting earlier this month Judge Fiona Lydon made Kalwile take an oath to do his drinking in private. “Didn’t I tell him before to do his drinking in private and not be wandering the streets making a nuisance of himself?” Judge Lydon said with some exasperation at the time.
On Monday, Judge Adrian Harris had to deal with two more similar charges dating from last summer. John Martin solr (defending ) said his client was 39 and originally from Malawi. He was 12 years in this country and had been granted the right to reside here. The problem, he explained, was that his client was a chronic alcoholic. His behaviour was a pain for the Gardaí but he was quite harmless, a nuisance but not a menace, he pleaded.
Judge Harris imposed a fine of €150 and ordered a Probation report to see if Kalwile was suitable for community service. If so, he was ordered to do 40 hours in lieu of one month in prison.
