Accused with 216 previous convictions blames drink spiking for latest offence

Jonathan Murphy was charged with getting into a parked car to interfere with it and kicking wing mirror off another 

The accused claimed his drink had been spiked.

A Cork man with 216 previous convictions blamed his latest offences on someone spiking his drink.

Jonathan Murphy was charged recently with getting into a parked car to interfere with it and kicking the wing mirror off another — but he said he believed that someone slipped something into his drink which caused him to act the way he did.

Jonathan Murphy, 33, of Cork Simon Community, appeared before Cork District Court by video link from prison where he pleaded guilty to a number of fresh charges.

Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said the accused had been in custody since November 26 following his arrest and he did not appeal to the High Court for bail.

Mr Buttimer said the accused had been rehabilitating well in getting clear of heroin. However, he said that he had been taking alcohol as a substitute for heroin.

“He took alcohol on the occasion of the more serious incident. He thinks that something might have been put into his drink to cause him to act the way he did,” the defence solicitor said.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the accused man’s previous convictions included 58 for being drunk and a danger, 45 for engaging in threatening behaviour, 25 for theft, 17 for burglary, one for interfering with a car, and 13 for causing criminal damage.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed an overall sentence of four months in respect of the matters.

Sgt Kelleher said Murphy was found obstructing pedestrians by begging on Paul Street, Cork, on November 5.

Garda Kyra Ann Collins encountered him at Carroll’s Quay, acting suspiciously while sitting on the ground with a dark substance in tinfoil in front of him. On examination, this was found to be a small amount of Diamorphine (heroin) for his own use.

There was a report of criminal damage call to Anderson’s Quay on November 25 where CCTV showed Murphy kick the wing mirror off a 16-registered car, causing it to break. On the same date he entered a car parked on St Patrick’s Street. Gardaí found him seated in to driver’s seat what his left hand on the steering wheel and his right hand on the ignition barrel.