National court archive · 2026-04-02
Huntington’s disease sufferer who claims condition can be mistaken for drunkenness cleared of keg theft
At a glance
- Crime
- stealing a keg of alcohol valued at €200
- People
- Niall Kelly, Kieran Devitt, Silvia Maria Crowley BL, Anne Watkin
- Locations
- Granby Lane, Dublin 1, St Vincent’s Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Farmer Brown’s pub, Clonskeagh, Scully’s Field, Dodder
- Court
- Dún Laoghaire District Court
- Outcome
- dismissed the charge
Summary
Dún Laoghaire District Court dismissed a €200 keg-theft charge against Niall Kelly after Judge Anne Watkin found a gap in the CCTV chain of custody. Kelly was separately placed on a €500 peace bond for 12 months after being accused of abusive behaviour towards a hospital worker. His defence said symptoms of Huntington’s disease could be mistaken for intoxication, while the judge accepted the medical circumstances as mitigation but not an excuse for abuse.
Original reporting: courtsnewsireland.ie