Man fined for collecting money without permit

Man fined for collecting money without permit


A TWENTY-one-year-old man who collected money on behalf of the Down Syndrome Association without a permit was told by a judge last week that he was lucky not to be going to jail.
Mr Edward Sweeney, with an address at Lahinch, Hollymount, Claremorris, was convicted of collecting money without having a permit and fined €500 by Judge Geoffrey Browne at last week’s sitting of Claremorris District Court.
Inspector Pádraic O’Toole told the court that on March 4 last gardaí received information that  the defendant was in the Lakeview Business Park in Claremorris. He was telling people there he was collecting money for the Down Syndrome Association but when questioned by gardaí he was found to have no permit and no permission from the Down Syndrome Association to collect on their behalf.
Defending solicitor, Ms Cathy McDarby, told the court her client was a 21-year-old father of one who had collected €300 on the day in question. He had the money in court and he maintained he had planned to do a charity walk or run in aid of the association. He said he had contacted the association and told them of his intention and he did not realise that he needed a permit.
The charity walk idea had then fallen through and he had the money in court to give back. He had pleaded guilty to the offence of collecting without a permit.
Judge Geoffrey Browne said he did not believe for one second that Mr Sweeney did not know what he was doing.
“You were taking advantage of people’s good nature and it’s totally disgraceful. I could send you to jail for five years,” said Judge Browne, who added his actions were only making it harder for genuine people from the Down Syndrome Association who were trying to raise much-needed funds for the work done by the Association.
The judge ordered the defendant to hand over the €300 collected to the Down Syndrome Association and he fined him a total of €500, adding that he was lucky not to be going to prison.