‘Wake up and smell the roses’ judge tells Kilkenny defendant

A man who did not take heed of an adult caution from gardaí, on a previous occasion, has now been convicted of an offence at Kilkenny District Court.

Carl Conlon, 6 Larchfield Avenue, Dukes Meadows, Kilkenny, had pleaded guilty to charges of being intoxicated in public and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

Sergeant Morgan O’Connor said Mr Conlon was on Rose Inn Street on September 7 last. He was highly intoxicated and had a verbal altercation with another person. Gardaí were observing and when the matter began to escalate, with pushing, they intervened.
Mr Conlon had no previous convictions.

Solicitor Alexander Rafter said his client is 26 and accepts responsibility for his actions. It had been completely out of character for Mr Conlon, he had too much to drink, the solicitor said.
Mr Rafter said his client plans to travel to Australia and a conviction could cause an issue with that.

“You didn’t pour the drink down his neck and I didn’t pour the drink down his neck,” Judge Geraldine Carthy said. It would not have been pleasant to witness for people in the area.

She noted the defendant didn’t heed a previous adult caution, which was in lieu of a prosecution. “It’s about time he woke up and smelled the roses,” the judge said, telling Mr Conlon he would ‘absolutely’ be leaving court with a conviction.

On the charge of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour Mr Conlon was convicted and fined €600. Being intoxicated in public was taken into consideration.
Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.