‘Big, gentle giant cannot control himself after drink’

A landscape gardener with 141 convictions for drunken behaviour on the streets was described yesterday as a gentle giant who is incapable of having even one drink without causing trouble.

That was how solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher described Francis Kearns, aged 50, of 5 Middle Rd, Crosshaven, Co Cork, yesterday.

Judge Olann Kelleher jailed Kearns for four months arising out eight incidents in Cork City and in Crosshaven. He said Kearns had one of the largest lists of previous convictions for such offences that he had seen in Cork District Court.