A man who offered his sister to a garda for a kiss and then offered to fight him for a fiver left the District Court €1,200 poorer last week (November 13 ).
The court heard from Garda Donnellan that he had been on mobile patrol on Dominick Street at 2.10am on August 24 when the defendant, Daniel Lee (21 ) of 117, Ardilaun Green, Mullingar approached him on the street.
“He had his arm around a female and said it was his sister,” said the garda. “He asked ‘will you give her a kiss?’ I did nothing, then he grabbed me by the back of the neck and said ‘will you fight me for a fiver?’
“I didn’t arrest him then but a little time later he fell out of a chipper and told me to f**k off. I needed assistance to make the arrest and it took four gardai to hold him down and get him in the car. He was very aggressive.”
As he had pleaded guilty, it was revealed to the court that Lee had two previous convictions for public order offences in 2006 and 2007, for which he had been fined a total of €650.
Lee’s solicitor, Mr Louis Kiernan, handed in a reference to the judge from his client’s employers. “He has no excuses whatsoever,” said Mr Kiernan.
“He does wish to apologise to the guard but says he doesn’t remember anything as he was very drunk. A lot of it was bravado and he hasn’t come to any attention since.”
Judge John Neilan fined Lee €800 for the Section 6 offence (public disturbance ) and a further €400 for the Section 4 (drunk and a danger to oneself and others ).
“You’re sailing close to the wind,” said the judge to Lee. “The next time in court and you’ll go to the Midlands Prison.”
