A Claremorris man who told Gardaí to “f**k off” and that they “didn’t give a f**k about him” when he was ordered to go home by a garda was ordered to pay €200 to charity by Judge Mary Devins for an ‘out of character’ incident.
Garda Hugh O’Donnell told the court that he was on duty in Claremorris at 6am on December 7 last and at Clare, Claremorris, he saw Michael Bennett, Convent Road, Claremorris in a drunken state. He asked him to go on home which he refused to do and became abusive towards Garda O’Donnell. Garda O’Donnell then told the court that he had to arrest Bennett under Section 6 of the Public Order Act.
Solicitor for Bennett Cathy McDarby told the court that her client was very sorry for what had happened and he had apologised to Garda O’Donnell in person the following evening, which Garda O’Donnell agreed with and agreed that it was out of character for Bennett to act this way. Judge Mary Devins ordered Bennett to pay €250 to charity and gave him the benefit of the Probation Act.
