A COUNTY Limerick man who admitted dumping bags of rubbish on a green space instructed his solicitor to say he was “embarrassed” to be before a court on such a charge.
“Embarrassed that he was caught,” the Judge said of Patrick McCarthy (43), of Inse Bui in Cappamore, who pleaded guilty to dumping at a green area in Murroe on April 25 last.
Kilmallock District Court heard that, on the day, McCarthy’s car was spotted at the location and witnesses saw the driver dump a bag of bottles, a bag of old clothes, and several documents, including an invoice from a mechanic.
Inspector Gearoid Thomson told Judge Patricia Harney that one person who witnessed the act was local solicitor John Herbert, who “remonstrated with him and asked him what he was doing”.
“The accused answered with some colourful language and told Mr Herbert to f*** off,” the Inspector said.
Judge Harney was shown photographs of the dumped rubbish, some of which she noted “was floating in the river. I’m spectacularly unimpressed,” she said.
When he was originally approached after the incident, McCarthy denied dumping the items, the court heard.
His solicitor said that McCarthy was “taking full responsibility” for what happened and wanted to apologise.
“This is a spectacularly unpleasant incident for him to be involved with,” Judge Haney said, fining him €250 for the offence under the Litter Act.
