Three people from Ballina were before the district court on Tuesday for public order offences arising out of a brawl which broke out in a Ballina bar during a going away party.
Gardaí were notified of an incident on October 25 2011 at 12.45am in Emmet’s, Abbey Street, Ballina. At the scene, seven to eight people were outside the premises. Raymond Casey, Ardnaree, Ballina, was observed with no shirt on and he shouted that he was going to kill a person who was inside the bar. Gardaí directed Casey to leave; however he refused and kept running around, shouting at people inside.
Inside the bar, Gary Howley, 146 Greenhills Estate, Ballina, was observed being held back by other people. He shouted threats at those outside the bar and refused to leave the area. Howley charged at gardaí; however he fell to the ground. The defendant was threatening towards gardaí and resisted arrest.
While Howley was being arrested, Carol Lackey, 96 Greenhills Estate, Ballina, intervened. The defendant grabbed Garda Cuffe and slapped and scratched his face.
All defendants had been attending a going-away party for Howley’s brother that night. Casey got into an argument with another person and Howley tried to stop the fight; the brawl escalated from there.
Casey, a 20-year-old unemployed man, who has previous convictions, admitted that he was drunk that night. Lackey (24 ), a single mother of one, also admitted that she had too much to drink that night.
Judge Mary Devins asked that community service assessment reports be prepared that day for both Lackey and Casey. Both were found suitable and the judge convicted and sentenced Lackey to 75 hours community service in lieu of two months in prison. Casey was sentenced to 120 hours community service in lieu of three months in prison.
Twenty-eight-year-old Howley, who has previous convictions for public order, was convicted and fined €300 and sentenced to three months in prison.
