Bacon and cabbage ‘bribe’ to cut mother’s lawn

A 50-year-old man told a court he was “bribed” by the offer of home- cooked bacon and cabbage to cut the back lawn of his mother’s property — but insisted he ate the meal with mustard on the porch and believed he did not breach an order not to enter her home.

Donal Cosgrave was willing to produce the shoes with the grass still on them to back up his story, Killarney District Court was told yesterday.

Donal Cosgrave of West End, Rathmore, was arrested for breach of contravening a barring order made on July 1.

The order made in Killarney last April, was that he should not attend the home of his mother.

Mr Cosgrave, who the court has previously been told is originally from the US, and has health problems, said he only called to his mother’s home at Woodlawn Estate, Killarney, on July 1 because she offered to cook him bacon and cabbage if he cut the grass.

In effect, the offer amounted to a bribe because no-one could resist his mother’s cooking, said Mr Cosgrave.

“Was the bacon and cabbage to be given before or after the grass cutting?” Judge James O’Connor enquired.

Mr Cosgrave said it was “before”, and he said: “You have to have a full stomach for hard work. I did not enter the house, I ate the bacon and cabbage on the back porch. I did not go into the house.

“And Mom gave me some mustard, and a little bit of dessert,” he added.

He had arrived at his solicitor’s office at 8.30am with a pair of runners with grass deposits on them and he was not sneaky and was telling the truth, he said.

Padraig O’Connell, solicitor, told the court the shoes were in an evidence bag, in court.

Judge O’Connor adjourned the matter to July 21 but warned Mr Cosgrave to abide by the order.

“He has to stay away completely from the house,” he said.