Mayo freerunners in court for trespassing

Freerunners warned against entering people’s property


Freerunners who enter people’s property were warned that they risk the prospect of being attacked or even shot by the householders under the Defence and the Dwelling Bill.
Judge Mary Devins made the comment at last week’s sitting of Castlebar District Court when two young men were charged with trespassing on a building when they climbed the roof of an elderly couple’s home when freerunning late at night.
Freerunning is a form of urban acrobatics in which participants, known as free runners, use the city and rural landscape to perform movements through its structures. It is popular in urban areas and in recent years has been used in action films and on music videos.
Judge Devins said the new Defence and Dwelling Bill may make people think twice about freerunning through people’s property.
“The new bill is about household defence and people protecting their property. If you do this [freerunning] through the property of a person who has a legally held shotgun, just think about it. If the bill goes through people are entitled to take action they see necessary in their home or the curtilage of the home and this may be a big risk for freerunners going through them,” she said.
Ryan Sheridan of 12 Carrawncurry, Castlebar and SeΡb Brizay (20) of Derrycoosh, Islandeady appeared before the court where they admitted to the offence. Garda John Dunning explained that at 2.35am on November 1, 2009 he got a call from a resident on Marian Row, Castlebar who said a group of males were on the roof of their home.
They gave a description of the males and they were found at View Point which included Mr Sheridan and Mr Brizay. They stated that they were freerunning through the estate. Garda Dunning said the elderly couple had been frightened by the experience.
The court heard that Mr Brizay had no previous convictions but Mr Sheridan had three including unauthorised taking of an MPV and drink driving.
Mr Rory O’Connor, solicitor for Mr Sheridan said he never heard of freerunning before this and added that the group got the idea off the internet. He said they scale walls and there was no other motive on the night other than a bit of fun and apologised for his actions.
Ms Helena Boylan, solicitor for Mr Brizay said her client and his mother went to the home of the people affected and apologised for his actions and meant no harm by his actions.
Judge Devins said if there was drink involved they could easily have fallen from the roof and ended up in a wheelchair. She adjourned sentencing for Mr Sheridan until next February for community service assessment and if he was approved she would sentence him to 120 hours community service in lieu of three months imprisonment. Judge Devins gave Mr Brizay the benefit of the Probation Act.