Father and daughter fined for obstructing garda after knife dispute
By Martina Nee
A father and daughter were fined €300 each at Galway District Court this week for attempting to prevent a garda from finding a knife which had been produced during a St Patrick’s Day dispute.
Gerard Mongan (38) with an address at 208 Lurgan Park, Renmore, and Amanda Mongan (20) with an address at 5 Castlepark, Ballybane, both pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place and obstructing a peace officer at Forster Street, on March 18, 2011. A charge of threatening and abusive behaviour was struck out by the State.
Inspector Ernie Whyte told the court that both the defendants, who are father and daughter, had been out socialising earlier for St Patrick’s Day and that at 12.50am on March 18, a dispute erupted in a public house during which a knife was produced by another party. The inspector further explained that Amanda Mongan took possession of the knife and tried to hide it. When a garda officer tried to locate the knife Gerard Mongan held him back. The court then heard that both defenants have no previous convictions.
Defence solicitor Colin Lynch said that his clients, who have no previous convictions, had been out together with other family members and had consumed a lot of alcohol. He said that a dispute arose and that Amanda Mongan, a single mother of one, got involved, attempting to difuse the situation by taking possession of the knife. “She did so as a misguided sense of loyalty to a family member, she accepts it was wrong,” said Mr Lynch who then added that Gerard Mongan, a father of five, also got involved and can be seen on CCTV footage attempting to exercise a “calming affect”.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy convicted both defendants and fined them both €300 for the charge of obstruction giving Gerard Mongan one month to pay and his daughter, Amanda Mongan two months to pay. The charge for being intoxicated in a public place was taken into account.
