A Claremorris man who caused €1,119.11 worth of damage to a car and €153 worth of damage to a window in a Chinese restaurant was given one month to come up with compensation to both injured parties in Claremorris District Court this week.
Thomas McDonnagh of 25 The Maples, Claremorris, pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal damage and two public order offences. Garda David Brandley told the court that he was on duty in Claremorris on May 11, 2010, when he got a call to a criminal damage incident at The Square, Claremorris, where he found the window of a Chinese restaurant broken; he spoke to McDonnagh at the scene who told him he didn’t mean to break it. There was a strong smell of alcohol from McDonnagh and he was unsteady on his feet. There was also a struggle when Garda Bradley tried to arrest him.
Continuing his evidence, Garda Bradley told the court that at the scene another injured party, Michelle Lydon, came forward claiming that McDonnagh had damaged her car earlier that evening. In her evidence Ms Lydon told the court that she was working in a bar in the town as a bar manager and McDonnagh and his brother and cousin were drinking in there earlier in the evening. All three got up to leave, but then McDonnagh changed his mind. His brother and cousin brought him outside but he then ran back in through the door of the pub and told her he was going to wreck her car before going back out the door. When she followed him outside he was jumping up and down on the bonnet causing a large amount of damage. She told the court that she doesn’t have the money herself to pay for the damages at the moment. The court was told that McDonnagh didn’t have any money in court and the amount of damage caused to the car was far more than he expected it to be.
Judge Mary Devins adjourned sentencing on the matter until July 20 to allow McDonnagh time to come up with compensation, telling him that he will suffer the consequences if he fails to pay.
