A man described by his solicitor as a “nuisance but not a menace” appeared before Galway District Court on Monday, via video link from prison, to answer yet more charges of public drunkenness brought against him.
Philip Kalwile (no fixed address ) has multiple convictions for public drunkenness around the city. His MO, one Judge said, was to drink until he is “paralytic” and then to collapse on the road or pavement and go to sleep. He had approximately 70 similar convictions on his record.
Another Judge dealing with him on similar charges told him Gardaí had better things to do than to go around the city picking up drunks from the streets. He said his concern was that Gardaí could be wanted urgently elsewhere but couldn’t go because they had to deal with him.
John Martin solicitor (defending ) told a previous court that his client was 39 and originally from Malawi. He was 12 years in this country and had been granted the right to reside here. The problem, he explained, was that his client was a chronic alcoholic.
At Monday’s sitting of Galway District Court Judge Valerie Corcoran was told the defendant, when the two public order charges he faced were put to him by Gardaí, replied “I am guilty” to both.
He was remanded in custody with consent to bail, but the reason he was in prison was because he couldn’t raise the bail set.
He is charged with Section 4 of the Public Order Act which covers public drunkenness and Section 6 which covers abusive behaviour. The matters were adjourned.
