A KILMALLOCK man who jumped the counter and forced his way into the kitchen area in his local takeaway was served a criminal record during a court hearing.
Michael O’Flaherty (21), of 60 Riverview Estate, Kilmallock, pleaded guilty before the Kilmallock District Court to two counts of assault and entering as a trespasser at Megabites on Sarsfield Street in the town.
Judge Partricia Harney heard evidence that on November 11 last, there was “some back and forth” between Mr O’Flaherty and staff at the takeaway.
The court heard that Mr O’Flaherty “took umbrage” at the exchange and forced his way through a staff door and into the kitchen where he threw food items at the staff.
Judge Harney was told that the accused grabbed one of the staff members by the neck when that staff member tried to get him out of the kitchen and back into the public area.
After being pushed out, the court heard, Mr O’Flaherty jumped the service counter and got into another physical altercation with staff.
Judge Harney heard that there was around €100 worth of damage done by the accused over the course of the altercation.
The whole incident was caught in CCTV, the court heard, but Mr O’Flaherty voluntarily went to the Garda station in the interim.
Hearing he had no previous convictions, Judge Harney said she would put sentencing back until June 18 to allow for a probation report to be prepared in the case.
She asked whether compensation had been paid to cover the damage and was told by Mr O’Flaherty’s solicitor that he could “go and get that amount right now”.
Warning that it would need to be paid and that she was withholding a decision on sentencing, Judge Harney warned Mr O’Flaherty that “if a probation report cannot be prepared because you didn’t attend appointments, I will take a very dim view”, telling the Kilmallock man that he “needs to wake up and smell the roses”.
