Three young men who hid from gardaí in private gardens at Hillview, Mullingar have apologised for their drink-fuelled behaviour.
Thomas Jennings (24 ) of Harbour Village, The Quay, Westport explained that he and his friends Kevin O’Brien (21 ) of Grange Heights, Mullingar and Brian McCarthy (19 ) of Ardleigh Crescent, Mullingar had drunk two 70cl bottles of vodka between them and eight pints each.
They had been drinking in McCarthy’s cousin’s house on the Lynn Road and wanted a taxi to cover the two and a half miles to their homes, he said.
Inspector Jarlath Folan said the taxi driver contacted gardaí at Ballinderry at 10.20pm and when they arrived, the men started to abuse the officers and then fled on foot.
The foot chase took gardaí through the back gardens of houses in the area, and the men were found at the rear of two separate houses at Hillview.
O’Brien, who has no previous convictions, had to be pepper-sprayed before he could be arrested and all were highly intoxicated, he said, adding that the taxi driver didn’t want to make a complaint.
Jennings has nine previous convictions for driving and theft offences and McCarthy has two public order convictions.
Solicitor Patricia Cronin said McCarthy knew he had far too much alcohol and is no longer drinking to excess because he knows it gets him in trouble.
Judge Hughes said he would like to have the power to get the three young men to walk to Kilbeggan and back twice, ideally in their t-shirts on a nice cold brisk day “for extra flavour” so he can be satisfied they have paid their debt to society.
Instead he ordered each to bring €100 compensation for the taxi-driver by December 12 and if they do he will then fine them.
“And if that means not buying the girlfriend a present, so be it. I won’t lose a night’s sleep over it,” he concluded.
