A man who has had a “career in criminality” was sentenced to two months in jail for threatening and abusive behaviour at Supermac’s where he stood at the door and refused to leave or let other customers get by him.
Billy McGinley (36 ) with an address at 118 Claremont Park was brought before Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court last Wednesday charged with being intoxicated in a public place in Eyre Square on April 4, 2008, and with being intoxicated and using threatening and abusive behaviour at Eyre Square on April 7, 2008.
The court heard how on April 4, the defendant was in Eyre Square at 11.20pm and was refused entry to a pub. McGinley then stayed at the door and refused to leave. On April 7, the defendant was at Supermac’s in Eyre Square and was asked to leave. However, he stood in the doorway and refused to let people pass by. The defendant had been very intoxicated and abusive to staff.
Judge Fahy was then told how the defendant had a total of 24 previous convictions. The most recent was a 10-month jail sentence in February 2002 for larceny and burglary. A four-month sentence was imposed for assault and eight months for two counts of robbery in November 2001. There was also a five year sentence imposed by Galway Circuit Court in 1996 for two counts of burglary.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said the last conviction was in 2002 and that her client has had a lot of difficulties in his life. She said that he had got into a lot of trouble when he was younger but had been out of difficulty for about six years. Ms Corcoran said that at the time of these offences McGinley had had a temporary break up with his partner who now has a one month old child. She added that the defendant suffers from psychiatric difficulties and from a drug addiction.
“I have one full scrap page full of previous convictions for this man, some of them very very serious offences,” replied Judge Fahy.
Ms Corcoran explained that there was no element of violence in these latest offences and that McGinley is attending an addiction councillor and has been making regular calls to get a place on a treatment programme.
“He should have been keeping his head down,” replied Judge Fahy who then imposed a two months sentence for the threatening and abusive behaviour on April 7. For the two counts of being intoxicated in a public place he received a €100 fine for each.
