Sent for trial on robbery charge
A TWENTY- three- year old man will face trial at Limerick Circuit Court for a robbery that he is alleged to have carried out at Sean’s Shop in Limerick city last May.
Limerick District Court heard that David O’Neill, with an address at Bridgeland House, Limerick, is to face a judge and jury at the next
sittings of the Circuit Court after he was served with the book of evidence in his case by Garda Brian Delee.
It is alleged that O’Neill entered the store on May 27 last and made off with €700 in cash after threatening staff with an imitation double-barrelled shotgun.
Judge Tom O’Donnell heard that the DPP consented to the accused being sent forward for trial on the robbery charge and for a charge of possession of an imitation firearm.
Ted McCarthy, solicitor, was appointed as legal aid and afforded one counsel for the pending trial.
O’Neill was remanded in custody and no application for bail was made.
Banned from driving after collision at intersection
THE perils of driving the morning after a night of socialising were again brought to light at Limerick District Court recently. A young woman who was involved in a road traffic accident at the junction between O’Connell Avenue and Newenham Street on the morning of Septemeber 12, 2009, has been banned from driving for two years and one day, as well as been fined €500 by Limerick District Court after being convicted of a drink driving offence.
Judge O’Donnell heard that on the date in question, 27-year-old Catherine Griffin, Kilcoolan, Ballyneety, collided with an oncoming car as she was crossing at the intersection when she did not see a car outbound from the city.
The crash occurred shortly after 8am and when gardai arrived at the scene, Garda Sean Dervan noticed a “strong smell of alcohol” from Ms Griffin. A urine sample provided yielded a reading of 172mg of alcohol.
Darrach McCarthy, solicitor for Ms Griffin, said that his client had been out socialising the night before and that the damage to the other vehicle had been paid for through the insurance company.
Judge O’Donnell fined Catherine Griffin €500 for the section 49 Road Traffic Offence, and issued a mandatory disqualification from driving for a period of two years and one day. The disqualification was suspended until November 1 next.
Erratic driving leads to four-year ban
WHEN gardai found a man driving erratically and who later parked his car horizontally across Ellen Street, their suspicions were sufficiently raised to question as whether or not he was under the influence of an intoxicant.
After speaking to 25-year-old Brian Heaney, Garda Niamh Briggs noticed that he had glassy eyes and was somewhat unsteady on his feet.
Tests revealed that Heaney was under the influence of cannabis after his arrest at 12:20am on September 25, 2009 last.
Ted McCarthy, solicitor, told the court that his client stopped to talk to a friend on the street and was double-parked, and in an effort to move, “made a right botch of it,” and it was then that gardai found him.
Judge Tom O’Donnell heard that the accused had two previous convictions, and commented that “it was difficult enough to park on Ellen Street as it was, without this,” referring to Heaney’s actions while driving his car.
Heaney, with an address at 52 Currach Birin, and unemployed, was fined €500 and disqualified from driving for a period of four years.
