This article is from page 16 of the 2009-03-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
A MAN whoarrived into court drunk and repeatedly interrupted the judge has been sent to prison for a week. Daniel Higgins (50), of Woodgrove, Cloughleigh, Ennis, was before En-
nis District Court on Friday, where he faced motoring charges.
After speaking loudly from the back of the courtroom while anoth- er case was being dealt with, Judge Joseph Mangan asked was Higgins intoxicated and was told by a garda
that he was.
The judge warned Higgins not to disrupt the court again and said he would find him in contempt if he did not desist.
A few minutes later, Higgins again interrupted, asking the judge, “Are
you going to deal with my case now’? All ‘m up for is driving the car. I was insured.”
Judge Mangan said, “I find you’re in contempt of court, the reason be- ing arriving in court intoxicated and persistently interrupting the court.”
He asked him did he want an op- portunity to purge his contempt and Higgins then apologised and was told to “sit down quietly”’.
However, moments later, he again interrupted, and was jailed for seven CRASS