Man jailed for smashing windows of West Cork restaurant

Man pleaded guilty to separate criminal damage charges

At Clonakilty District Court, Judge Colm Roberts was told that Ian Curley, 54, is originally from Dublin but has been living in West Cork for around 10 years. Picture: Andrew Harris

A man has received jailed sentences totalling 10 months for separate criminal damage incidents in a West Cork town, including smashing the windows of a well-known restaurant.

Ian Curley of James House, the Quay, in Castletownshend had earlier pleaded guilty to the criminal damage charges in the early hours of August 13 last in Castletownshend — one at the Lawn, in which a car was damaged, another at Cross St, where another car was damaged, and then at Mary Ann's Pub and Restaurant, where a number of panes of glass in a window were smashed.

At Clonakilty District Court, Judge Colm Roberts was told that Curley, 54, is originally from Dublin but has been living in West Cork for around 10 years.

His solicitor, Peter O'Flynn, said Curley had been working in construction as a quantity surveyor but that finished up in the economic downturn and he had not worked in the area since.

Mr O'Flynn said Curley had a long-term history of depression and alcohol misuse and had been engaging with West Cork mental health services since 2013.

However, Judge Roberts noted reports before the court which indicated that Curley had actively disengaged from that mental health support and had stopped his medication entirely of his own volition and without the instruction of a GP to do so.

"From 2018 to 2021, he was out of trouble," said Mr O'Flynn.

He said there had been a "major cluster" of offences in 2015, around the time of his father's death, and that the most recent spate of incidents coincided with the death of his brother.

Judge Roberts said: "From what I can read in the report it is totally self-created.

"He does not have a mental illness, he has a mental health problem.

"The victims affected by this see it as an act of violence and are deeply upset by it."

'Deeply remorseful'

Mr O'Flynn said his client, who had been in custody for the past fortnight, was deeply remorseful. He said Curley had made full admissions to gardaí and co-operated from the earliest stage.

Judge Roberts said Curley was "not an immature man" and that there had been times when he was a totally constructive member of society. 

However, he said what had occurred was not totally out of character and that Curley had engaged in "dangerous, irrational behaviour" out of a false sense of having been wronged.

On the first charge regarding the incident at the Lawn, the judge imposed a four-month suspended sentence with Probation Service supervision for two years. 

On the second incident, which caused €639 worth of damage to a car, the judge imposed a four-month jail term, and for the last incident, the judge imposed a 10-month sentence, with the last four months suspended.

Curley lodged an appeal on his own bond of €500, half of which was in cash, and indicated through his solicitor that he would move back to Dublin.

Curley faces a number of separate charges and will return before the court in connection with them on September 14.