A habitual criminal whose solicitor told a court had spent most of his time over the past 20 years in prison was sentenced to a further 15 months when he was convicted of a number of offences, including abusing staff at a Ballinasloe food outlet.
Niall Lynch, 2 Hopson’s Lane, Ballinasloe, appeared before the local court on a series of charges. Judge James Faughnan was told he came before him with 78 previous convictions, including ones for theft, robbery, burglary and public order offences.
The court heard how Lynch entered the Ballinasloe food outlet on March 28 last at 1.30am and became abusive to staff. He was told to leave and called them “Paki bastards”. Soon after, Gardaí encountered him, and he abused and spat at them. On arrest, he spat in the station cell, and it had to be professionally cleaned at a cost of €180.
In addition, he was charged with the theft of a laptop in Loughrea valued at €1,300, beer from a shop also in Loughrea valued at €28, and being drunk in public in Ballinasloe. All these offences took place in February of this year.
Gearóid Geraghty solicitor (defending ), said his client was 37, and he’d been dealing with him since he was 18, and since then he estimated he had spent most of his time in custody. He was addicted to alcohol, but hoped to rehabilitate himself while in prison this time.
Lynch had been in custody since March 28, when he had been refused bail. Judge Faughnan sentenced him to 15 months’ imprisonment in total.
Recognisances in the event of an appeal were set at €1,000 cash for the defendant and an independent surety of €2,000 cash.
