32-year-old father of seven was sentenced to a total of six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Ballina District Court this week for two criminal damage charges and for also failing to appear in court.
Francis McDonagh, 58 Cluain na Rí, Ard na Rí, Ballina, caused damage to his neighbour’s vans on St Patrick’s Day 2010. The damage occurred after McDonagh got into an argument with Patrick Lawrence.
The court heard that the defendant suffers from medical and psychiatric difficulties. Judge Mary Devins said that the defendant’s medical condition did not prevent him from his actions that day. The court heard that McDonagh is in receipt of over €500 a week from the State. Judge Devins said that this should be noted since “we are bankrupt”, but yet this man receives more money from the State than a lot of working people receive at the end of their working week.
For the Section Two criminal damage on one van the judge convicted and sentenced him to three months in prison suspended for 12 months; for the second criminal damage charge he was sentenced to three months in prison to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months. For failing to appear at a previous court sitting, McDonagh was convicted and sentenced to three months prison to run consecutively, suspended for 12 months.
