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Man sentenced for damaging electric gates in Kilcolgan
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A row over money between two former business partners led to a 36-year-old city man being sentenced to two months in prison for damaging electric gates.
Jonathan King, a father of three from 61 An Sean Bhaile, Doughiska, appeared before Galway Circuit Criminal Court.
He pleaded guilty to damaging the gates at Hazel Lodge, the home of Donal O’Connor in Kilcolgan, on December 5th, 2012.
He also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance on the same date.
At King’s sentence hearing, Detective Gerry Carroll gave evidence that King and a Michael O’Reilly went to Mr O’Connor’s home.
O’Reilly buzzed the intercom at the gates to be let in but was not admitted.
He then scaled the wall and a scuffle broke out between him and O’Connor near the house.
O’Connor got the better of O’Reilly in the scuffle and he escorted O’Reilly out to the gates.
On O’Reilly’s command, King reversed the Mercedes jeep he was driving into the gates, forcing them open.
Both men then drove away and went to a pub in Kilcolgan.
Det Carroll said Judge Mary Fahy already dealt with O’Reilly, who has since served a two-month sentence for his part in the incident.
Senior Counsel Bernard Madden, defending said O’Reilly had been O’Connor’s business partner.
He was owed a significant amount of money and on hearing O’Connor had been declared bankrupt, he became worried about his investment.
Det Carroll said King had 69 previous convictions, mostly for motoring offences, with two for drugs, two for criminal damage and two for theft.
He said King was currently serving a five-month sentence for driving without insurance.
Judge McCabe sentenced King to two months for criminal damage and disqualified him from driving for two years on the insurance charge.