Dangerous driving and breach of a barring order among the cases heard at Wexford District Court
Wexford PeopleA number of cases were heard before the local district courts recently
A Wexford man was before the court in relation to multiple offences.
Graham Hurley (39) of 5 St. Martins Terrace, Sinnottstown Lane, Drinagh, Wexford, was produced in court in relation to multiple theft and public order offences.
The court heard a brief outline of the offences including a theft of €60 from a busker’s case in Wexford Town on March 6 2024; theft of €25 from the Card Factory, Wexford; a theft of an e-scooter from The Farmers Kitchen Hotel on May 6 2025; and the theft of €110 from the donation basket at Bride Street Church which the accused does not remember.
He was also charged with being found in Coolcotts Lane on April 5, 2025, with a rock and a mask.
The public order offences are all of a similar nature where the accused become threatening and abusive while highly intoxicated.
Gardaí confirmed Hurley is well known to the court with some 145 previous convictions.
Edward King, solicitor for Hurley, submitted to the court that these offences are not sophisticated and are indicative of someone with an addiction.
Mr King told the court that Hurley has been in and out of custody since he was 13 years of age and while previously in custody both of his parents passed away and he could not attend the funerals.
The solicitor informed the court that Hurley has addiction issues and began smoking hash when he was 10 years of age and then began taking heroin at just 16 years of age.
The solicitor stated his client had been clean since May 2025 when he was taken into custody and was previously receiving methadone treatment which had been decreased to 20ml a day. Mr King described his client as “someone who has not had a break in life but has certainly not helped himself either”.
The accused’s reoffending appears to be an unfortunate cycle where he is sentence to imprisonment, when he is released he has nowhere to go, and then the inevitable happens where he turns to drink or drugs and begins offending again.
Mr King stated he is aware that his client will face a prison sentence but urged the court to put something in place so that there is light at the end of the tunnel for Hurley once he is released.
Judge Cheatle sentenced Hurley to two five month consecutive sentences in relation to the theft of the e-scooter and the theft from the case of the busker.
He also imposed an eight month consecutive sentence suspended for 12 months in relation to a charge where Hurley was found with a rock and mask in his possession looking into gardens at Coolcotts Lane.
Jurisdiction refused in assault case
A Wexford man appeared before the court via video link in relation to two charges of assault.
The court heard that Robert Walsh (29) of Park Road, Camolin, Wexford, assaulted another man on July 17 2025 after allegedly stabbing him in the groin with a kitchen knife on June 29 2025.
Garda Aaron O’Neill gave evidence to the court that the injured party had not reported the stabbing initially but was taken to St. Vincents Hospital where he received treatment.
After Walsh assaulted the man on the second occasion by punching and kicking him until he fell to the floor the man then reported the stabbing also as he was quite shook up following the second assault.
CCTV was played to the court which shows the injured party on the path with a crutch when Walsh stops his car, gets out, and begins punching and kicking the victim.
Garda O’Neill confirmed that he would have concerns if Walsh was to be released from custody as the men live within close proximity to each other.
Lana Doherty, solicitor for the accused, submitted to the court that Walsh had sourced an alternative address in Gorey which he could reside at the alleviate Gardaí concerns.
Ms. Doherty confirmed that Walsh is a mechanic and his garage is also in Gorey and would be willing to have a bail condition instructing him to stay out of Camolin altogether.
Ms. Doherty also stated her client had €3,000 to offer in relation to his bail bond.
Judge Cheatle refused jurisdiction stating the matter was far too serious to be dealt with within the district court.
However, Judge Cheatle did granted bail under strict conditions including that Walsh have no contact with the injured party; he stay out of Camolin; to observe a curfew between 10pm and 6am; sign on daily at Gorey Garda Station, and to provide a phone number to An Garda Síochána which he must answer when gardaí call.
A Wexford man was before the court in relation to multiple charges of theft, criminal damage, public order, and a breach of a barring order.
There were thirteen public order matters before the court, all of which are a similar nature where the 31-year-old man was found to be intoxicated in multiple locations in Wexford Town and New Ross.
The criminal damage charge relates to an offence at Wexford Garda Station on July 16, 2025 where the man defecated on the floor and used the fecal matter to write on the cell walls which cost €200 to clean.
There was also a criminal damage charge to the barriers at Franks Place carpark in Wexford Town to the value of €400.
There was an offence of a breach of a barring order dated December 5, 2020 where the man entered the property of the applicant to have a shower and then stared in the kitchen window at her putting the woman in fear.
All of the theft matters before the court related to the theft of alcohol from various locations around Wexford at different dates.
Lastly there was a firearms charge on April 15, 2023 where the man was arrested and during the course of the search a pocket knife was found on his possession.
Edward King, solicitor for the accused, informed the court that the man wanted to enter a plea in all matters.
Mr King stated that the tenor of the offences is indicative of someone with an alcohol addiction.
The man’s mother died five years ago and things then began to go wrong for him. The solicitor told the court his client is ashamed of his actions in the garda station and wishes to offer his apologies.
Mr King stated his client is somewhat of a “Jekyll and Hyde” person where his client is pleasant to deal with when sober but becomes difficult once he has been drinking.
Mr King submitted that the offences are more of a nuisance than they are of any real severity.
Mr King told the court the defendant had previously been liaising with the probation services but then became homeless and was uncontactable.
He added the accused had previously been resident in Ozanam House and is likely welcome back there if there is room and that is client is willing to engage further with the probation service.
Judge Cheatle adjourned the matter to November 11 for a probation report to include an assessment of the accused’s suitability for community service.
He ordered that if the man is suitable he will complete 120 hours of community service in lieu of five months imprisonment.
He also imposed a eight month sentence suspended for 18 months, and granted bail on the condition that the accused be of sober habits.
Several people fined for road traffic matters
Ugis Lubans (38) of Killadrennan, Newtownmountkennedy, Wicklow, was fined €150 withfour months to pay in relation to a charge of using his mobile phone while driving at Townparks, Wexford, on October 11 2024.
Kimberly Stirling (29) of 7 Cois Eden, Castlebridge, Wexford, was before the court in relation to a charge of no insurance that occurred on 11 July 2024 at Distillery Road, Wexford.
The court heard that Stirling’s insurance had lapsed due to financial reasons. Judge Cheatle imposed a fine of €250 with six months to pay.
Ben James Barnes (25) of Townspark, Coolcotts, Wexford, was before the court in relation to driving uninsured.
Barnes told the court he was selling the car and was simply moving it when he was stopped by gardaí Coolcotts Lane on February 8 2025.
Judge Cheatle fined the accused €350 with six months to pay.
Patrick Thomas Connors (35) of Rosemount, Drinagh, Wexford, was charged with holding a mobile phone while driving and no NCT on January 29 2025 at Commercial Quay, Wexford.
The court heard Connors has 74 previous convictions. Judge Cheatle fined the man €200 in relation to each offence with six months to pay.
A Wexford man was before the court in relation to a drug driving incident. Paul McBride (49) of 185 Castlepark, Tallaght, Dublin, was found to be driving under the influence of cannabis on September 13 2021 in Clonard, Wexford.
Judge Cheatle imposed a one year disqualification and imposed a fine of €300 with five months to pay,
Fined €200 after being convicted of dangerous driving
A Wexford man was involved in a road traffic collision resulting in a charge of dangerous driving.
Garda Quirke gave evidence that on January 12 2024 he attended at a road traffic collision that had taken place on the R741 where Dylan Coleman (29) of Carrigadaggin, New Ross, Wexford, failed to stop at a stop sign and had struck another vehicle.
Garda Quirke said that Coleman’s had overturned in a ditch and the car of the injured party had struck a ditch in the front garden of a home as a result of the collision.
Both parties were taken to the hospital, the accused had no injuries and the victim suffered soft tissue damage.
Meabh Fenton BL, barrister for the accused, queried if the junction is a particularly dangerous one and gardaí confirmed it is.
Ms. Fenton BL informed the court that this junction has been a topic of discussion within Wexford County Council.
She added that Coleman was unfamiliar with the road and did not see a stop sign and the sat nav he was using gave no indication of a stop sign either.
Ms. Fenton BL submitted to the court that the accused is a broadband technician with one child and a baby on the way.
She said he is a man of good character, and has not come to garda attention since the incident.
Judge Cheatle fined Coleman €200 with five months to pay.