Local papers are gas for scandal, I love the court stuff personally. Stumbles on this one from 2003 while Googling for used consaws - from the Independent (cut 'n paste)
By Court Reporter A DISTRICT Court Judge described as very fishy a case in which a group of men took a ?720 concrete saw from the back of a Castleisland bar and attempted to cut a bridge and a lamp-post with it before throwing it in a river.
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At Thursday’s sitting of Castleisland District Court, Patrick Howard of Kilsarcon, Currow, Farranfore, was found not guilty of trespassing at the back of the Kingdom House Bar on February 24 or of stealing a concrete saw on the same date.
A second man, Paul Kelly of Rossanean, Currow, Farranfore, was also found not guilty of trespassing at the back of the same bar on February 24 of this year and with handling stolen property to the value of ?720. Dismissing both charges, Judge Kelliher said he believed the case was “very fishy” but said he was obliged to give both men the benefit of the doubt.
Giving evidence in court, the owner of the Kingdom House Bar, Dan Walsh, said he had placed a concrete saw he had borrowed in the back of an old Volvo at the rear of his bar but said he later noticed that it had disappeared. He added that there was water in the saw when he got it back.
Also giving evidence, Garda Kevin Goff told the court that he was on patrol in Castleisland with Sergeant John O’Mahony at 3.10am on February 24 when he noticed three youths acting suspiciously by the river bank.
He said that two of the youths ran away but said that one of them, Paul Kelly, came towards them. He added that Mr Kelly admitted taking the concrete saw but said he had only taken it for a laugh. He said Mr Kelly gave the names of the other two youths as Patrick Howard and James O’Sullivan.
Speaking in court, Sergeant John O’Mahony said he interviewed the youths, who admitted starting the saw but said it was so noisy that they threw it in the river to stop it. Sergeant O’Mahony said they admitted starting the saw as a prank and said they had had left it on the river bank.
Giving evidence in court, Paul Kelly said the saw had “fallen” into the river and said he had gone into the river to recover it. He said he had intended returning the saw to the back of the Kingdom House Bar.
Asked if the group had tried to cut the bridge and lamp-post with the saw, Mr Kelly admitted that they had. Judge Kelliher dismissed the charges.