A man who made the "unfortunate mistake" of damaging Judge Brian Sheridan's car and two cars owned by gardaí, minutes after the judge had given him a suspended sentence, has been sentenced to three months jail.
Judge Patrick McMahon heard that Gavin Grogan scratched the judge's car and cars owned by Garda David Gibson and Garda Patrick King.
Grogan (23), Sancta Maria Hostel, Charlemont Street, Dublin 8, caused nearly €6,000 damage.
Grogan pleaded guilty to scratching the cars at Kilmainham District Courthouse, Dublin, on March 26th, 2007. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda King and trespassing in the curtilage of Kilmainham District Court .
Judge McMahon had remanded Grogan in custody for a week for a pre-sentence report and for the charge sheets for which Grogan had received the seven-day suspended sentence to be brought before the court.
The court heard that Garda King observed Grogan damaging the cars and "gave chase".
Grogan threw the stone which he was using to scratch the paintwork at Garda King, hitting him on his shoulder.
He was arrested by Garda King on the Inchicore Road.
The total damage came to €5,750: €4,000 for Garda King's car; €1,000 for Garda Gibson's car and €750 for the judge's car.
Grogan's solicitor, Terry Hanahoe, said his client "had made the unfortunate mistake of damaging a judge's car, it's a capital offence.
"When the offence was committed, he didn't really know what had happened and was under the influence of something," he said.
Judge McMahon noted that the offences were "aggravated by the fact that he had just been given the benefit of suspended sentence".
He sentenced Grogan to three months imprisonment on the three criminal damage charges and the trespass charge. He sentenced him to three months jail, suspended for two years, for assaulting Garda King.
Judge McMahon reactivated the seven-day sentence which Judge Sheridan had suspended for failing to appear in Kilmainham District Court on February 15th, 2007.