James Walsh receives suspended sentence for criminal damage

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

James Walsh received a suspended 20-month sentence for criminal damage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the proceedings reported on 2 November 2022.

He pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Aaron Quay, Dublin city centre, on 29 September 2018. Judge Martin Nolan said prison was not warranted and ordered Walsh to collect €4,000 within six months for the victim; if it was refused, gardaí were to give it to a local charity.

The prosecution account was that Walsh repeatedly struck the taxi with a bike chain and then tried to strike the driver. In defence, Karl Moran BL said Walsh appeared to be hallucinating after heavy drinking and taking Xanax, and had been wearing the chain as part of a Macbeth costume.