High Street criminal damage was ‘traumatic’ Kilkenny Court hears

The actions of a young man who spray painted an advertising sign, shop windows and even a car with a driver still sitting inside, were described as ‘shocking’ by the judge at Kilkenny District Court.

Kealan Ryan, 7 Gaol Road Crescent, Kilkenny, was charged with causing criminal damage after the incident on August 2, 2022.

On that day gardaí received a report, at 9.30pm. The owner of a vehicle had parked on High Street. She opened the door to get out and saw a man approach. This was Mr Ryan.

First the man sprayed a Kilkenny Arts Festival sign with black paint. The woman got back into her car.

The man walked around her car and spray painted the car registration plate, the back window and the top of the boot.

He then moved on to spray paint the front window of the Vodafone store and the Pandora store.

He had eight previous convictions.

Solicitor Chris Hogan said it was an unusual case. His client and the car owner did not know each other.

Mr Ryan had brought €400 to court to offer as compensation.

Flashback

Mr Hogan said his client had been to a medical appointment the morning of this incident and something happened that gave him a flashback to an incident that happened when he was young. He found this difficult to deal with and went home and started drinking to excess. Mr Ryan had paint in his home. He could not remember this incident.

When arrested by gardaí Mr Ryan was unfit to be interviewed because he was drunk, and was interviewed the next morning. He accepted it was him on CCTV. He had blacked out.

Shortly after this his client was admitted for treatment, Mr Hogan said, and he is addressing his difficulty with intoxicants.

Judge Geraldine Carthy said she thought the incident was ‘shocking’ and would have been ‘traumatic’ for the woman sitting in the car.

She asked for a Probation Report to be prepared before concluding the case, and adjourned matters to June 26 to allow this.