Man accused of causing damage to painting given date to enter plea

Thomas Shinnick, from Kilcolman West, Buttevant, Co Cork, is charged with causing criminal damage to a painting at the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. 

A Buttevant man accused of causing criminal damage to a painting at the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork by allegedly throwing soup at it has been given the option of contesting the case or entering a plea of guilty on May 10.

It will be a matter for the accused to indicate by that date the approach he wishes to take to the case where it is alleged that he caused €400 worth of damage in the art gallery.

Thomas Shinnick from Kilcolman West, Buttevant, County Cork, is charged with causing criminal damage to the painting — George Atkinson’s Anatomical Study — at the gallery on Emmet Place, Cork. The painting is protected by glazing.

He is also charged with being in possession of a screwdriver on the same occasion without a lawful excuse.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer applied to come off record and told Judge Olann Kelleher that he was no longer representing the accused. This was noted. Solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher said that he was standing in for solicitor David O’Meara who was coming on record to represent Thomas Shinnick.

Judge Kelleher adjourned the matter until May 10 and on that date, the accused can plead guilty or have a date set for a full hearing of the case.

Earlier this year at a previous court hearing, the accused wore a navy suit with shirt and tie and tweed cap and over this he wore a luminous orange high-vis work jacket. Clipped on to the jacket were up to a dozen handwritten signs bearing various messages. They included, ‘No art on a dead planet’, ‘We won’t quit’, and other messages concerning fuel poverty, oil, and related matters.