The Probation Service has been ordered to be more creative, after it emerged that a man with a bad back following a serious accident was offered nothing but litter collection for community service.
“There should be a range of sophisticated options,” he said, noting that John Crichton (29 ), 167 Belvedere Hills, Mullingar seemed to have been offered litter picking and nothing else.
He had been convicted in June of growing €9,000 cannabis in his attic while his children were in school, an offence which earned him a 10 month suspended sentence.
The drug was to ease pain following the serious accident, his solicitor Patricia Cronin said.
The judge also ordered that he complete 240 hours community service for drug possession and the case had been adjourned over the summer to assess his suitability.
Helping people with their gardens, painting walls, and assisting older people are all possible options for Crichton, the judge said.
“Is that the state we’re in - is the Probation Service only in a position to offer litter picking?” he asked.
He did point out that he didn’t expect that people would generally be offered a choice and that Crichton couldn’t pick and choose.
And he also reminded Crichton that much litter picking is done with a grab, rather than someone having to bend over.
The judge concluded that there are numerous organisations who could benefit from the assistance of a fit young man for 240 hours.
“Use your imagination in the Probation Service,” he urged, adjourning the case for a month.
