Three women who denied standing in a line blocking half of a very popular city centre street and begging from people struggling to get past failed to contest the charges at Galway District Court this week, with one being jailed for a month while the others received suspended sentences.
Angela Rostas (21 ) with an address at 157 Rahylin Glebe, Ballybane, Stancuta Rostas (25 ) with an address at Brookdale, Headford Road, and Violeta Rostas (18 ) with an address at 93 Rayhlin Glebe, Ballybane, denied the charges brought against them of obstructing the passage of people while begging, and being a persons suspected of begging who failed to comply with Garda directions to desist and leave the vacinity of Quay Street on May 21, 2011.
Garda Sean McHugh gave evidence that at 12.30am he had been on duty when he observed the three defendants and another female, a juvenile, standing in a line across the street, approaching a number of people, and asking for money. Garda McHugh added that he approached and enquired if they had a licence or authorisation to be there but they did not answer. He then outlined that their actions is an offence under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act 2011 and asked them to desist. The women failed to leave the area and were arrested and conveyed to Galway Garda Station.
Under cross examination by defence solicitor Adrian MacLynn, Garda McHugh further explained that the women, all Romanian nationals, were working together, that they had been standing in a line of four across the street, that this had blocked 50 per cent of the street, and that pedestrians were forced to go around the women to get by. Garda McHugh added that only one of the women had been holding out a cup to passers by but that all four were “clearly working together”.
When Violeta Rostas took the stand she denied that they had been begging and instead claimed that all the women had been out to celebrate her birthday, that they were just standing in the street talking with one another. She added that she had taken a bus with her boyfriend in to the city. When Inspector Ernie Whyte put it to the defendant that she had been begging, she vehemently denied this. These claims were echoed by both Angela and Stancuta Rostas who described Garda McHugh’s evidence as “all lies”, and said that they too had come in to the city separately by bus to meet up and celebrate a birthday.
“So you left your homes in various parts just to have a chat. I don’t accept that, they were there for a purpose,” said Judge Mary Fahy.
The court then heard that Angela Rostas is a mother of three children who came to Ireland in 2004 and receives lone parents allowance. She has five previous convictions, including a one month suspended sentence for failure to obey Garda directions and to produce a passport imposed in January 2010. There were also three convictions in 2007 for casual trading without a licence. Considering her previous record Judge Fahy convicted Angela Rostas and imposed a one month jail sentence and a €500 fine.
With regard to Stancuta Rostas the court heard that she is a single woman who came to Ireland in 2007 and has one previous conviction for casual trading without a licence in March 2008. She was convicted and sentence to one month suspended for 12 months on condition that she be of good behaviour and stay away from Shop Street and Quay Street area as well as being fined €300. Violeta Rostas, a mother of two children, also received a one month sentence suspended for 12 months on the same conditions. She was also fined €300. Leave to appeal was granted for all three defendants.
