Tag Archives: Judge Patrick Durcan

A Limerick man who fled from Ennis Courthouse last week has handed himself into the authorities. Jason Freyne, (22), who had been on the run for six days, turned up at Limerick Prison on Monday evening around 7pm. A gardai manhunt in both counties Clare and Limerick had been underway since he absconded from Ennis Courthouse last Wednesday evening. Freyne, from Carew Park in Limerick, escaped from custody with an 18-year-old at approximately 3.15pm last Wednesday. The two men walked out the back door of the building and made a run for freedom. However, the other man, Keith Garrihy of Beechgrove, Newmarket on Fergus, was arrested by gardai in Clarecastle within hours and brought back to Ennis courthouse for return to Limerick prison. Judge Patrick Durcan heard last week that Freyne sped away at 160km from a pursuing garda in a chase along the M18 motorway in April of this year before being arrested at Moyross.

Gardaí were able to arrest a drug addict, who admitted trespassing with intent to commit theft, after they followed a trail of blood from a hand injury the man sustained while gaining entry to a premises. The shrewd piece of detective work was outlined to Judge Patrick Durcan at this week’s of Ennis District Court when Patrick Ballard (28) was sentenced to a term in prison. The court heard that on July 1 last, at 2.15am, a window was broken at the Spar shop in Lifford and gardaí were called. Arriving on the scene, they found a trail of blood, which led back to Lifford Lodge, where they found Patrick Ballard with cuts to his hand. He had cut his hand in his attempt to get into the shop. The court heard that the defendant had 68 previous convictions, six of them for theft and one for burglary. Mr Ballard’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said he has significant difficulty with his …

FIVE people who are facing charges arising from an investigation into money-lending in Kilrush are set to have their cases heard in the circuit court. Diana Casey, 12 Wood Road, Kilrush; Patrick Casey, Beverley Hills View, Kilkee Road, Kilrush; Ann Marie O’Brien, 12 Sycamore Drive, Kilrush; James O’Brien, Chapel Drive, Kilrush and Bernie O’Grady of Wood Road, Kilrush were all before Ennis District Court this week, where Judge Patrick Durcan refused jurisdiction in the matters. Giving evidence at Wednesday’s court sitting, Detective Donal Corkery said a number of people had been identified following what was called Operation Payday and that observation had been carried out over a lengthy period of time. He also said that people using money-lenders had been identified and some complaints had been made. Detective Corkery said he understood loans involved had ranged from €50 to €8,000. Regarding rates of interest, he said in the case of someone who was borrowing €100, €150 would have to be …

A MAN who took up drug-dealing in an attempt to pay off a loan he incurred prior to his wedding, appeared before Ennis District Court last week. Laimis Klemankas, 25, with an address at 3 Gleann an Óir, Shannon, admitted charges of having possession of drugs and of possession with intent to sell or supply, at his address on September 12 last. The court heard that, on the date in question, cannabis valued at €818.46 and amphetamine, valued at €282.44, were found during a search at the address, along with some drug paraphernalia including a tick list, weighing scales and some cash. Mr Klemankas’ solicitor, Stiofán Fitzpatrick, said his client is Lithuanian and has been in Ireland for seven years. He has never been in trouble, either here or in his home country. He said Mr Klemankas had smoked cannabis for a period of time but gave it up because it gave him heart palpitations. Mr Fitzpatrick also said that …

A 26-year-old man, described by Judge Patrick Durcan as being “highly skilled, highly trained, highly intelligent”, was given two five-month concurrent prison sentences, after pleading to drugs charges. Arthur Steffenberg, with addresses at Dún na Rí, Ennis and Lough Road, The Lough, Cork, claimed he had got involved in the sale of drugs because of the high costs involved in pursuing a Masters in architecture. Last week in the district court, he faced charges of having possession of cannabis herb and ecstasy, as well as two charges of having the drugs for sale or supply, at Ballymaquiggin, Ennis on October 15, 2013. A Latvian national, the defendant was described as “not the usual defendant” that comes before the court. It was also stated that a lecturer of the defendant had been so impressed with him, that he had offered him employment in his firm, while he has provided illustrations for a book that will be published in the near future. …

TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly both addressed Ennis District Court on Tuesday, claiming Ireland is complicit in atrocities through its decision to allow the US military to use Shannon Airport. They criticised the lack of inspections on aircraft being used by the US military, claiming that relying on diplomatic assurances from America is hopelessly inadequate. The two are accused of climbing a perimeter fence at Shannon and entering a part of the airport to which they were not permitted on July 22 of last year. During evidence on Tuesday, both freely acknowledged that they had entered the area in question but claimed they were left with no other option due to the lack of inspections being carried out by the authorities. They said they had been told to provide some concrete evidence to justify inspections and that their attempt to get to a US aircraft on the Shannon tarmac was a response. Mr Wallace also spoke about his experiences …

GUNS have routinely been carried through Shannon by the US military, it was claimed at Tuesday’s hearing into a case against TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly. Also at the hearing a former Irish army officer warned that missiles brought through the airport on one occasion could have resulted in it being blown up, along with much of the neighbouring industiral estate. Deputy Mick Wallace of Clontarf Road, Dublin 3 and Clare Daly of Elmwood Drive, Swords, Dublin are both accused of climbing a perimeter fence at Shannon Airport and entering a part of the airport to which they were not permitted on July 22 of last year, contrary to the Airport Byelaws of 1994.                 While the case is being contested neither have denied that they did enter restricted parts of the airport by climbing a fence, indeed at one point in Tuesday’s sitting Mr Wallace jokingly asked for the return of …

JUDGE Patrick Durcan has stated that while legislation is “still not satisfactory” in dealing with the prosecution of those caught for speeding by Go Safe Vans, there is now “a degree of clarity” enabling him to proceed with such cases. Up to recently, Judge Durcan had adopted a practice of either adjourning or striking out cases of speeding detected by Go Safe Vans until issues surrounding its prosecution were clarified in a High Court case. At Killaloe District Court this week there were 28 cases listed for prosecution by Inspector John McDonald in respect of Go Safe Van speeding detections. In these cases fixed charge penalty notices are supposed to issue to the alleged offenders. Of the 28 cases, nine people were present in court to deal with the matter. He commented, “the legislation is not satisfactory and if there is evidence that [the defendants] did not receive the notice I have to treat that a certain way”. He outlined …