Edgeworthstown man on public order charges fined by judge

An Edgeworthstown man who was drunk and attempted to intervene as gardaí tried to return a young girl to a HSE care home has been fined a total of €350 by District Court Judge Seamus Hughes.

Marcos Souza (34) The Green, Edgeworthstown, Longford, pleaded guilty to two public order charges at last Tuesday’s sitting of Longford District Court following an incident at Market Square, Longford on January 5 2019.

Garda Keith O’Brien said he had been on duty during the early hours of the morning when Mr Souza approached him as he was trying to transfer the young girl back to a locally based care residence. During the course of those attempts, Garda O’Brien said Mr Souza, who had been in a group of onlookers, approached him while drunk.

Garda O’Brien said he issued Mr Souza with a Section 8 order to leave the area immediately and warned him a second time.
That led to charges of being intoxicated in a public place and failure to comply with the directions of a garda under Sections 4 and 8 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act being issued against him.

Defence solicitor Brid Mimnagh said her client would be pleading guilty and was willing to hand in €250 straight away. After learning of Mr Souza’s previously unblemished record, Judge Hughes said he would be fining the accused a total of €350.

The €250 Mr Souza came to court with, together with €100 cash bail which had already been lodged were used to settle the court imposed fine.

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