It’s a long way to Belmullet

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Edwin McGreal

It’s a long way to Belmullet and for a trio of defendants, it proved just too far.
A mother and daughter were up in court but when their case was called over at shortly after the appointed court start time of 10.30am, they were not in the Erris capital.
Judge Conal Gibbons was not impressed. Their solicitor asked him to put it back to later that day. The judge was having none of it.
“Adjourn it to the next court, I haven’t time for this.” The solicitor pleaded for the case to be heard today and explained that his clients had ‘transport difficulties this morning’ but were on the way.
“I don’t believe a word of it,” retorted the judge.
Both cases were adjourned until January 11. The Mayo News kept our ears to the ground and it turns out the ‘transport difficulties’ were quite pronounced. The mother and daughter had the car they were due to drive to Belmullet seized in Castlebar on the morning of the court for having no tax. Irony doesn’t even start to do it justice.
After securing alternative transport, they were further delayed by having to go via Newport on the way in order to collect another relative.
All a fool’s errand and they’ll have to make the journey again on January 11.
Another man tells the court he shouldn’t be there as he’s nearly 75.
“Jeez you’re looking well for 75,” is the judge’s instant comeback.
Judge Gibbons is certainly one of the more ebullient judges on the circuit. He brought plenty of laughter to the courtroom during the day – but a few tears too and not all were those of defendants.
It’s 3.35pm when a drink driving hearing a solicitor is defending comes up. The judge points to the time and says he is not starting a hearing at that time. The solicitor pleads that it will only be a ‘short hearing’ but it fell on deaf ears.
The only sound was that of the solicitor’s mood deflating after waiting all day for her case to come up.
The main reason for the delay is a fitness to plea case, which becomes quite lengthy and complex. The judge and the Director of Prosecutions become embroiled in a tit-for-tat. Inspector Tom Calvey is the messenger getting shot by both sides as he relays the judge’s views via phone to the DPP and the DPPs views back to the judge.
The judge decides the man is not fit to plead due to mental health issues but he and the DPP differ over how long the case should be adjourned for.
“The DPP will have to JR (judicial review) me. This is crazy to be completely honest,” exclaims Judge Gibbons.
While all this is taking place in camera, a group of gardaí, solicitors and defendants wait patiently, in some cases, outside the courtroom.
One of the defendants waiting is up on a public order charge. His solicitor said her client became ‘irate’ after the gardaí went to tow his car after an accident.
Judge Gibbons praised the prosecuting garda for presenting her evidence ‘without fear or favour’, adding ‘we’re very lucky to have the calibre of gardaí we have in this country’.
What would the judge have done himself in that scenario?
“I mightn’t have been as disciplined or restrained if someone was as aggressive towards me,” he told us. That would be a prosecution we would pay good money to attend.