‘Line in the sand’ triggers jail sentence for Carlow man
Carlow courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke
A MAN who was previously given a suspended sentence on public order offences was last week sent to prison for four months after Judge Geraldine Carthy told him in Carlow District Court that “the line in the sand has been drawn”. Thirty-six-year-old Stephen Kinsella of no fixed abode, Carlow pleaded guilty to several public order offences that occurred in June this year.
Inspector Tom Jones outlined the offences in court, including that on 24 June gardaí found Mr Kinsella “staggering and visibly intoxicated” on Tullow Street, Carlow and that when he became abusive, they arrested him for engaging in threatening behaviour and for being intoxicated. He continued that on 4 July gardaí saw Mr Kinsella on Kennedy Avenue, Carlow, with a wine bottle in his hand. Insp Jones said that the defendant shouted “f**k off, pigs!” to the gardaí and “you’re not going to arrest me”.
Judge Carthy heard that the defendant had 47 previous convictions and had received a suspended sentence in January this year, meaning that the current charges before the court were triggering offences.
Solicitor Joe Farrell said that his client “was very easy to deal with, except when he’s intoxicated”. He told the court that Mr Kinsella had been staying in homeless accommodation and that he wasn’t allowed to drink there so he drank down the town in Carlow instead. He added that his client has since lost that accommodation and is now homeless.
Mr Farrell asked Judge Carthy to adjourn sentencing for two months to see if Mr Kinsella would make progress, but Judge Carthy refused the submission. She said that while Mr Farrell had a duty to look after his clients, she had a duty to look after the people of Carlow.
She continued that Mr Kinsella had received a suspended sentence earlier this year and that it hadn’t taught him a lesson.
“The line in the sand has been drawn,” she said.
She then sentenced Mr Kinsella to a total of four months in prison, while she also ordered him to appear before her again tomorrow, Wednesday 10 September, so that she could reactivate the sentence that was suspended in January.
