'You will end up dead': Judge warns man who was intoxicated on Limerick street

“WHAT in God’s name was going on?”, Judge Patricia Harney asked a man brought before Limerick District City Court, following the issuing of a bench warrant. 

Keith McCarthy, 37, with a home address at Mount Richmond Close, Rhebogue, was charged with a public order offence at William Street, Limerick city, on December 14, 2025.

Prosecuting Sergeant Denis Waters said that gardaí were called to the scene following reports of a heavily intoxicated man at 10.40pm that evening.

Sgt Waters detailed that Mr McCarthy attempted to run from gardaí, but fell over while doing so.

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Judge Harney asked the man “why?”, to which Mr McCarthy - who chose to forego legal representation - replied “I relapsed at Christmas”.

The man said that he had no recollection of what happened at William Street, and that he had been sober for some time before the relapse.

“It was a slip and I’m so embarrassed,” the man said.

Mr McCarthy further detailed that he has since completed a recovery programme at Coolmine treatment centre.

Judge Harney told the man that “the level of intoxication was thus that you were a danger to yourself”.

“If you don’t deal with this matter, you will end up dead”, the judge continued.

The judge proceeded to convict Mr McCarthy, and fined him €100, giving him three months to pay the penalty.

-Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme