A man with 20 previous convictions was fined €500 this week after abusing staff at a petrol station and threatening to burn down the pumps.
Hughie Guinan (33 ) with an address at 92 Castlepark, Ballybane, was charged with being intoxicated in a public place and threatening and abusive behaviour at Tom Hogan Motors on January 18, 2009.
Inspector Pat McHugh told the court that at 4am gardai received reports of a drunk male being abusive to staff at Tom Hogan Motors and that he was also seen “stumbling” along the dual carriageway. The staff told gardai that Guinan repeatedly banged on the window and then threatened to “burn the petrol pumps”. He was also abusive to gardai when they arrived.
The court heard how the defendant had 20 previous convictions including an incident which resulted in at least 15 charges of dangerous driving, for which he received a prison sentence and disqualification from driving. He also received a seven year sentence, six years of which were suspended, for a burglary in January 2001.
Judge Mary Fahy noted that although the defendant had very serious previous convictions he hasn’t learnt from it and turned his life around. Guinan was then convicted and fined €500 with three months to pay.
