Judge raises court sittings to combat rise in crime

A RECORD high number of criminal cases and a sharp increase in vandalism on a popular seaside town has prompted a judge to implement extra court sittings.

Last week Judge James McNulty announced his intention to increase the number of monthly court sittings in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, from two to three, starting on September 29.

His decision to deal exclusively with family law and health board matters at the extra sitting will free up other sittings to make inroads into criminal and public order cases.

The number of criminal cases has spiralled to a record high in recent months and many of the court sittings have extended late into the evening.

“I can only welcome the decision to hold an extra monthly court in the town, and I would commend Judge McNulty for taking the initiative in the matter,” said town mayor Michael O’Riordan.

In the aftermath of the announcement by the district court judge, local councillors met with gardaí at the weekend to voice their concerns about the deteriorating law and order in the town.

Members of the town council had a 90-minute meeting with Supt Michael Blake and Sgt Michael Leacy in the wake of a spate of untoward incidents which have taken place in the town in recent months.

These include a break-in at the home of an 87-year-old man while he was in hospital; the felling of a tree in the front garden of a local authority house in the early hours of the morning by men wearing balaclavas and, most disturbingly, the desecration of the grave of a former garda who had served as the juvenile liaison officer in the west Waterford region for a number of years.

The councillors warned that unless the trend was speedily arrested things may worsen.

Mr O’Riordan said while there was no desire to overstate or exaggerate the situation, the councillors’ concerns were legitimate.

Supt Blake said the gardaí would do all they could to prevent a free run for criminals or vandals in the town.