Judge tells ‘freezing’ prisoner to do some exercise
"We can't have all the business of the court centred around your comfort" Judge O'Kelly told the prisoner
A JUDGE warned he would jail a remand prisoner for contempt of court if he continued to make a racket in a holding cell at Limerick District Court.
The 28-year-old accused, who is charged with the robbery of €1,000 from a shop in the city centre last week, had complained he was “freezing” in the cell as the gardai had taken “my socks and the laces of my shoes”. He later apologised for having caused the disturbance.
An exasperated Judge Eugene O’Kelly had been forced to halt proceedings owing to loud banging coming from the cells.
When the prisoner was brought out, he complained to the judge that he was freezing in the cell.
“Well you can do some exercises if you are able to bang on the door,” said the judge, warning the accused he was “interfering with the administration of justice” and preventing others from having their business in court dealt with.
“If you are in a position to bang on the door, you can do press-ups or some other physical activity,” Judge O’Kelly said, warning the Limerick man that he could send him to prison immediately for contempt of court.
After Sgt Donal Cronin offered to have the prisoner removed to a cell in a garda station, the accused again attempted to complain about the cold cell, telling the judge “it’s not easy”.
“I appreciate it’s not easy being in custody but we can’t have all the business of the court centred around your comfort,” the judge said.
The prisoner was later brought back out and offered his apologies to the judge.
“I have a sickness. I’m going through detox and I was cold in the cell,” he explained.
Judge O’Kelly said he accepted the apology.
The accused made no application for bail and was remanded in custody to appear before the court again on Tuesday.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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