A 42-year-old Co Clare man who has “destroyed” the door area to a primary school by sleeping rough there has been banned from certain parts of Ennis town centre including the school and a Catholic Church cathedral.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Fiona Brennan granted a civil exclusion order against Richard McDermott, of no fixed abode, from the O’Connell Street/Square areas of Ennis and connected lanes for one year.
It is the fourth exclusion order local gardaí have obtained at Ennis District Court preventing four men from entering certain parts of Ennis town centre since the start of July due to their antisocial behaviour.
The exclusion order obtained by Supt John Ryan against McDermott includes the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul near the top of Ennis’s O’Connell Street, and the Holy Family School.
Last December, McDermott received a three-month prison term over an incident in which he “destroyed the floor” of the cathedral by defecating on it.
Making the exclusion order application before a vacation sitting of Ennis District Court under Section 115 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, the superintendent said that McDermott has been spending a lot of time on the grounds of the Ennis Holy Family School.
He said gardaí in the morning would come across McDermott lying in the doorway of the school, with the place destroyed. Ryan said it was also totally unsightly for children going to school there.
Ryan said 10 warnings had been served on McDermott by gardaí from May 1st to August 14th concerning drinking on the street and general antisocial behaviour. He said McDermott has been “putting tourists and people in fear because of his behaviour and his drunkenness on the street”.
In response to cross-examination from solicitor Tara Godfrey, for McDermott, the superintendent said the application was “a last resort”.
Local businesspeople were trying to run businesses “and are losing business because we have some people in and around town lying on benches, drunk and sleeping”, he added.
Gardaí have been able to tackle the issue to a certain extent, working with Clare County Council and the homeless services.
McDermott, who was not in court as he was in hospital, was previously in the care of Laurel Lodge homeless services and the Brothers of Charity, neither of which could manage his behaviour.
The judge granted the order for one year and said the case had been dealt with humanely by all parties involved.