Andrew Carey
A ROMANIAN national caught begging in the city centre has been jailed for breaching an order barring him from Limerick.
Vasile Muntean (19) of Willow Park, Athlone, was begging outside Wokking restaurant on O’Connell Street on December 14. Six months earlier he was ordered to stay out of Limerick for two years after he was found to be “harassing, intimidating and obstructing” members of the public.
Inspector Dermot O’Connor told Limerick District Court that Gardaí responding to complaints from members of the public found Muntean with a small dog on the footpath where he was begging and was blocking people who were out socialising.
Defence solicitor John Devane said his client’s sister was ordered to stay out of Limerick last week and that other family members had been before the courts in the past on similar offences.
He said that the Muntean family do not receive any benefits from the State.
Activating a two month prison sentence that was suspended last June, Judge O’Kelly said he didn’t see why the people of Limerick should be subjected to harassment and intimidation because he and his family didn’t receive social welfare.
“He was well aware of the order of the court barring him from Limerick. It was a blatant breach – he didn’t even stay out for six months”, the judge said.
A two month suspended sentence was imposed for the latest offences which Judge O’Kelly suspended for two years.
