Ballinrobe man ‘absolutely terrified’ of going back to jail

A short spell in prison drastically changed the outlook of one young Ballinrobe man.
That’s what Castlebar District Court heard on Wednesday last in the case of Jonathan Ward of 1, Abbey View, Ballinrobe.
He was before the court charged with public order offences last September in Castlebar and the matter was adjourned until last Wednesday.
However, in the intervening period, he came to garda attention. Gardaí saw him in a physical confrontation with his wife on Tucker St, Castlebar on March 4 last at 1.45am.
He was, the court heard, intoxicated, aggressive and verbally abusive towards gardaí.
The court heard no complaint was made by his wife so there was no prosecution for any alleged assault.
He spent two weeks in jail last year on another matter before being released after an appeal to the Circuit Court.
Defending solicitor Ms Cathy McDarby said she had noticed a huge change in Ward’s behaviour before and after he spent time in jail.
She said Ward was ‘very cocky, rude and full of himself’. She said Ward’s family wanted to appeal the prison sentence but her advice was not to, as she felt a spell in prison would do Ward no harm.
She said the family did appeal the sentence but that the two weeks inside had the desired effect.
She said that she received calls of a ‘tearful nature’ from Ward in prison, telling the court that even though mobile phones are not allowed in prison, prisoners still get their hands on them.
She said he started to behave himself upon leaving prison, was more respectful to her and that his wife has been a ‘very positive influence’ on him.
Ms McDarby said Ward is involved in a variety of local community groups and he has a future.
The incident on March 4 came after he had ‘a number of vodkas’, said Ms McDarby. She said he now knows he cannot drink and this incident was ‘a slip’.
“It sends him violent, aggressive and abusive,” she told the court. She said he does not want to go back to prison. She said Ward told her ‘I know now I can never drink again’.
“He is a different man since prison,” added Ms McDarby.
Ms McDarby said to Judge Mary Devins ‘see his face. He is absolutely terrified’. Ward was visibly shaking.
The case was adjourned to November 21 for finalisation, after Ward appears before the Circuit Court on an earlier matter, in October. He was ordered to pay €300 to the Ballyglass Lifeboat in the meantime.