Romantic Smurf stumbles into wrong house
By Martina Nee
A six-foot Smurf who got romantic notions, scaled a barbed wire wall in search of his Smurfette, only to break a window and climb into the wrong bedroom, that of a unimpressed man who immediately alerted gardai, the Galway District Court heard this week.
Plastered in blue paint the 19-year-old Smurf had decided to finish off the Halloween celebrations by making a romantic visit to a special someone, however, his amourous intentions only succeeded in attracting the attention of blue uniforms after he stumbled into the wrong house, startling the sleeping male occupant.
The court heard that on October 28, 2010, at 3.30am gardai received a call to go to 9 Eyre Street where they were met by the injured party who complained that the back door window had been broken by a man with blue paint on his face. The man also said that he had been woken up to find the blue painted man in his bedroom.
Garda Paul McNulty said that the culprit, Fiachra McGinley of Dunkineely, Donegal, had dressed up for Halloween had made his way through the side entrance of a nearby pub, hopped over a wall with barbed wire, and made his way to the house where he believed a girl he knew lived. However, when McGinley realised it was the wrong place he fled the scene but was later arrested near GMIT.
Defence solicitor David Higgins said that his client has studied energy engineering and that a conviction could affect his job prospects and future plans to work abroad. Mr Higgins said that the damage caused was €300 and McGinley is in a position to pay €100 immediately and to come up with a further €200. He added that on the night in question his client had had too much to drink.
After hearing the evidence Judge Mary Fahy accepted that the incident was due to “amorous intentions” and not to commit theft. She then ordered McGinley to pay the remaining €200 for the damage and if paid the Probation Act would be applied. The defendant was remanded on continuing bail to appear at Galway District Court on October 12.
