‘I have the odd drink. It doesn’t agree with me’

A 24-year-old man was arrested at a café in the early hours of morning for his ninth count of being drunk and a source of danger — but he said yesterday he did not have a drink problem.

Craig O’Sullivan, of 24 Curraheen Drive, Bishopstown, pleaded guilty to this latest incident of drunkenness at Cork District Court.

Judge Olann Kelleher reminded the accused of the evidence from Sergeant Gearóid Davis of his previous convictions, notably eight counts of being drunk and a danger.

“Have you a drink problem?” the judge asked.

The 24-year-old said: “I don’t have a problem with alcohol as such.”

O’Sullivan told the judge he had no previous conviction for that kind of offence for two years.

Sgt Davis confirmed that he had a more recent conviction but that in fairness to the accused, it related to a drunken incident that occurred back in June 2017.

O’Sullivan said: “I have a drink the odd time and it clearly doesn’t agree with me.”

The defendant said that he did not have other charges against him from the occasions when he was convicted of being drunk and a danger.

Judge Kelleher imposed a €300 fine.

The incident occurred at 1.45am yesterday on October 4 at the Webworkhouse on Winthrop St, Cork, when Garda Kevin Coughlan responded to a call of a drunken man who had fallen asleep in the premises and was refusing to leave.