Romanians ‘will face jail’ if they continue to beg

Five Romanian nationals were brought before Cork District Court yesterday to face begging charges as the judge warned any repeat offences could end in jail.

A Romanian translator was sworn in to assist with all five cases at Cork District Court yesterday where solicitors, Dennis Healy and Eddie Burke, were appointed to represent the accused on free legal aid.

One of the men pleaded guilty to three counts of begging within two days. Judge Olann Kelleher gave this man — Grigoie Feraru, aged 23, of no fixed address — the benefit of a dismissal under the Probation of Offenders Act on the first count, a €150 fine, on the second, and a suspended one-month sentence on the third.