This article is from page 12 of the 2008-10-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
ADULTS are buying alcohol for those under the age of 18, while they wait outside off-licenses for them, it has been claimed.
The revelation emerged in court from a 17-year-old girl from Ennis, who said she asked people to buy alcohol for her at three named off- licenses in the town.
The girl is accused of being in- toxicated in public at Abbey Street, Ennis, on May 18 last. Judge Joseph Mangan noted that “Drink seems to be at the root of all these problems.”
Ennis District Court was told on Friday that the young girl accepted that this was the case. Her solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client would be prepared to comply with the Pro- bation services.
Judge Mangan called the girl up before him and asked her where she was getting the alcohol. She said it was being bought in off-licences. ‘‘Any of them,” she said.
Asked to specify, she replied, “Fine Wines; over by MT Pockets; Carry Out. That’s all.”
Judge Mangan asked her, “How do you get drink?” She replied, “People that I hang around with are 18.”
He asked her where she was located when the alcohol was being bought for her. “Waiting outside the offie,” she replied. The judge asked her was it handed to her as the buyers left the off-licences and she said, “Ya.”
Inspector Tom Kennedy then told the court that a recent case in Shan- non had been brought to court, where a young man bought alcohol for a girl who was under 18. The judge asked,
“Is it a case with some people, Hear no evil, See no evil?”
The inspector replied, “We have carried out surveillance. It 1s difficult enough to detect. It is not always as blatant as that.”
The judge placed the girl on proba- tion for 12 months. He ordered her to comply with counselling and treat- ment and undertake to comply with a urine analysis programme.