Tralee court round-up: A sulky driver’s alias and a fight with traffic cones

By Anna Zacharias, The Kerryman

Two nights of trouble on Castle Street, a sulky driver’s alias and a fight with traffic cones were amongst the cases before Judge Waters at Tralee District Court last Wednesday, November 26.

John Coffey (49) of 13 Cloonanorig, Tralee was fined €200 for giving gardaí a false name after he was found sitting on a sulky attached to a horse on August 24. “He first gave his name as Michael O’Brien,” the court heard. It was also noted that Mr Coffey became belligerent and swore at the garda. He was fined an additional €250 for threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour. His solicitor Pat Mann noted he was a UK resident and had returned for the court case.

Frances O’Brien (22) of Bay 4 Rathass Halting Site, Tralee appeared for public order charges after “fighting with traffic cones” during the Rose of Tralee festival at midnight on August 21. Solicitor Brendan Ahern noted it was “more horseplay and messing around”. He was fined €300 for threatening or abusive behaviour, taking a charge for public intoxication into account.

Jack Avanzo (21) of 81 Ballyspillane, Killarney, was remanded on bail for a weapons charge from December 20 last year. Mr Avanzo, who is charged with production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury, was permitted to enter Ballyspillane on December 25 from 12pm to 9pm. The court heard he is now a UK resident and must inform gardaí if he returns to Killarney.

Jamie Power (33) of Finnegans Hostel, Tralee, was sentenced for seven thefts. The stolen objects ranged in value from €1.50 to €170. Mr Power, who had 106 previous convictions, also faced a charge for trespassing. “He’s at the behest of certain people and he unfortunately succumbs to that and he does what he does,” said his solicitor Padraig O’Connell. The judge sentenced him to six months for each theft, to run concurrently, taking the trespassing into account.

Abraham Harazi (21) of The Square, Abbeyfeale, was ordered to donate €250 to Little Blue Heroes Foundation for threatening or abusive behaviour on Castle Street during the Rose of Tralee Festival. The court heard there was a fight at 3am on August 20 and Mr Harazi was “trying to kick other males”.

Richard O’Shea (26) of Ballyclogher House, Ballingowan, Tralee, was ordered to donate €250 to Little Blue Heroes Foundation for public intoxication and threatening and abusive behaviour on Castle Street at 2.20am on October 1. His solicitor Mr Mann noted, “There was too much drinking brooding above the matter and it went in the wrong direction.”

Mark Roe (23) of 52 Kingswood Castle, Ballymount, Tallaght, Dublin 24 was ordered to donate €300 to Cuan Mhuire for possession of €150 of cocaine and €50 of amphetamines on Prince’s Street. The court heard he was seen acting in a “furtive and suspicious” manner. “He had just got off the bus and was walking a short distance to his digs,” his solicitor Mr Mann told the court.

Molly Slattery (61) of Foxrock Manor, Foxrock, Dublin was fined €180 for ignoring a traffic summons for driving into a yellow junction box. She said the summons was given to her 18-year-old daughter, who had not informed her about it. The judge dismissed this, saying it “doesn’t ring true”. The court heard there was a sworn declaration by a garda that it was handed to her daughter. “It’s not an everyday occurrence that a garda turns up with a summons,” noted the judge. He added, “I’ve no doubt it was served.”