Waterford judge fines man absent from court rather than send gardaí to follow up
Waterford Courthouse.
A man who is believed to have failed to pay a donation to the court's poor box has been convicted and fined in his absence at Waterford District Court.
Judge Kevin Staunton fined Niall Connolly (43), of 15 Woodlawn Park Avenue, Firhouse, Dublin 24, €100 and gave him four months to pay.
The defendant, who was not in court, was fined for an incident of public intoxication contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 in Ballybricken, last December.
Sergeant John Phelan said he was not sure if the ordered donation to the court's poor box had been paid.
The judge had indicated that he might put the matter back to allow for a follow-up with the defendant, but said he didn’t think there was a solicitor involved in the case and that he had not been the judge presiding at the time the matter was dealt with.
“It would be too much bother to have the gardaí running around to notify him,” said Judge Staunton.
