Man filmed car being seized by gardaí
The defendant filmed the gardaí as they seized a car
A BAGENALSTOWN man who filmed gardaí who were seizing an untaxed car appeared last week in Carlow District Court on a public order charge. Billy McAssey, 6 Regent Street, Bagenalstown pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the directions of a garda during an incident that occurred on Regent Street on 7 May this year.
Inspector Tom Jones told the court that gardaí were loading an untaxed car onto a tow truck that evening when Mr McAssey (41) took out his phone and started filming and shouting at them. He continued that the gardaí told him to move on because he was causing distraction, but that he didn’t.
Insp Jones continued that a co-accused who tried to prevent the car being loaded onto the ramp of the tow truck had already been dealt with by the courts.
Solicitor Joe Farrell said “with hindsight, he could have handled it better”, adding that it wasn’t illegal for his client to film the incident.
When he told Judge Carthy that Mr McAssey was “trying to better himself”, she ordered the defendant to carry out 150 hours of community service in lieu of four months in prison.
