A man who refused to leave a social welfare office because he was unhappy at having to collect his payments at a different post office, has been given a two month suspended sentence.
Thomas Dinnegan was convicted of failure to comply with the direction of Gardaí at the social welfare offices in Mullingar on September 9 last.
The court heard that when asked to leave he refused and was extremely agitated.
Mr Robert Marren said that a change in the system brought his client to complain at the offices because he could no longer collect his social welfare payment at the usual post office. There was some hassle but no drunkenness, he said.
He said the 38-year-old separated father of two, who has an address at 4 St Joseph’s Cottages was “just too stubborn or awkward”.
Judge Eamon O’Brien suggested he had been giving grief to staff who had enough to do.
He imposed a two month sentence which he suspended on the strength of a €500 bond to keep the peace for two years.
He also suggested that Mr Dinnegan apologise to the people involved.
