Taxi home to Bantry proved expensive – in retrospect

‘BE careful when you are on a night out because you are starting to ramp-up the offending,’ Judge Mary Dorgan warned a woman from Bantry, who was charged with being drunk on the streets of Ballydehob during this year’s Jazz Festival.

Carol Whelton of 27 Seskin Park, Seskin, Bantry, apologised for her behaviour when approached by gardaí at Main Street shortly after midnight on May 7th last. Insp Brian O’Donovan said the guards spoke to the accused – who has 11 previous convictions – and asked her to leave the area quietly, but she failed to do so. Flor Murphy said she, and the person she was with, did try to leave but they were not able to phone a taxi because neither of them had a phone that was charged.

‘In the end they got a free spin back to Bantry,’ Mr Murphy said in reference to the fact that the accused, and her friend, were arrested for their own safety.

Judge Dorgan told the accused that she was ‘kind of disappointed to see you back here again,’ and she fined her €250 for being drunk in a public place.

The size of the fine prompted Mr Murphy to make the wry observation: ‘The taxi back to Bantry seems expensive now.’