Two brothers from Dublin were before Castlebar District Court this week following disturbances outside a night venue in the town, where one of the men kicked out a Garda patrol car’s window and the other ripped off his shirt and was aggressive to gardaí.
On February 7 this year at 2.35am Garda Gerard Dillon was on duty on New Antrim Street, Castlebar, where John Clarke, 142 Loretto Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 was ejected from the Welcome Inn.
The intoxicated defendant was aggressive and directed gestures and foul language to door staff and to Garda Dillon. Clarke was directed to leave the area but failed to do so.
When arrested and placed in the patrol car, Clarke kicked the window of the car out, which caused €150 worth of damage.
Clarke told the court that he was assaulted in the club and went to complain to the garda who did not want to hear his complaint. As “another garda sat on my head” in the patrol car he kicked the window, he told the court.
Inspector Joe Doherty put it to the defendant that he had absolutely no respect for the authority of the gardaí and said that “you were out of control”.
His brother, Gerard Clarke, 138 Loretto Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, was also before the court as during the incident the intoxicated man took off his shirt, threw it on the ground and was shouting abuse at Garda Ray Guilfoyle.
Both men were in Mayo that weekend to visit their mother.
John Clarke, who has “not a great history” according to Judge Mary Devins, due to his previous convictions, told the court that he attends college in Dundrum, does charity work on the side, and lives with his fiancee.
Gerard Clarke has 26 previous convictions which he accumulated from 2002 to 2007.
John Clarke was convicted and fined €500 for the section two criminal damage; ordered to pay €150 compensation and sentenced to three months in prison suspended for 12 months. For the section six public order he was convicted and fined €250. The section four and section eight public order charges were taken into consideration.
Gerard Clarke was convicted and fined €250 for being threatening and abusive.
