“You have no respect for your wife, she has kept you out of prison time after time,” Judge John Neilan told a Polish national, before Mullingar Court on public order charges last week.
Judge Neilan bound the defendant Zbigniew Dolinski (53 ), 4 Greenpark Meadows, Mullingar, to keep the peace for three years in his own bond of €3,000. Judge Neilan told him that in default of entering the bond, he would be imprisoned for 90 days.
The defendant is charged with using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, at Buckley's Supermarket, Mullingar, on May 16 last. He is charged with being intoxicated on the same occasion. He is also charged with a second intoxication offence at Patrick Street, Mullingar, on September 21. He pleaded guilty to the offences.
Inspector Jarlath Folan told the court that Gardai received a complaint that two males, who were refused alcohol in Buckley's Supermarket, were abusing people at 1pm on May 16. The defendant was found under bushes in Patrick Street at 8.50pm on September 21. The defendant who had had too much drink, had fallen asleep on the footpath. Passers-by rang an ambulance. The court heard that Dolinski had five previous convictions.
Mr Louis Kiernan, solicitor, said his client is currently being supported by his wife. He appeared to be suffering from an alcohol problem and he had a number of friends with similar difficulties. His client says he is going to change his ways, because his wife is ashamed of him. The defendant was working until three weeks ago.
“I have sympathy for the people of Mullingar,” Judge Neilan remarked. “They are presented with constant nauseating fighting and falling around the streets. People are hard working and paying taxes as it is, without having to be abused or being presented with people in a drunken state. The defendant has been given numerous opportunities, and advised to conduct himself,” the judge said.
He remarked that it appeared that a large proportion of his wife's earnings was going to pay hefty fines imposed on the defendant. Judge Neilan said he didn't intend activating the bond on that date, because he was influenced by the conduct of the defendant's wife. “If there is any suggestion of you observed in a public place in the course of the next two months, I will activate the peace bond, and if you are not in a position to put up the €3,000 then and there, I will sentence you to 90 days. The people of Mullingar should not be subject to this type of conduct by you or anyone else for that matter,” the Judge told him, adjourning the case to December 11.
“It is a few weeks short of Christmas. You now have an invitation to celebrate Christmas dinner with the Governor of the Midlands Prison. There will be no alcohol, but plenty of water,” Judge Neilan remarked.
