Portlaoise Court: Man found drunk on six different occasions around the town
Portlaoise Courthouse
A MAN was found drunk lying in a bush and on another occasion the same man was found so drunk that it took two gardaí to lift him up off the ground onto his feet.
While on four other occasions he was found drunk in other locations around Portlaoise.
That was the evidence given against 44-year-old Robert Krogolewski from Lake Drive, Kilminchy, Portlaoise, who pleaded guilty to five offences of being intoxicated in public places and to one count of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour when he came before Portlaoise District Court in Portlaoise.
The court heard that on 18 May 2023 the defendant was arrested in the Kyle Shopping Centre when he was found in a drunken state.
He was again found drunk and a danger to himself and to members of the public at Colliers Way on 28 July the same year. On 1 July last year Mr Krogolewski was found in such an intoxicated state in the car park of the Lidl Shopping Centre that it took two gardaí to lift him off the ground onto his feet. While on 22 December 2024 gardaí came across the defendant drunk along Bridge Street and had to arrest him for his own safety. He was found sleeping in a bush drunk in the People’s Park in Portlaoise on 10 June this year and the following day 11 June was picked up by gardaí as he was walking along the Abbeyleix Road drunk and a danger to himself and to traffic and became aggressive towards them.
Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant had three previous convictions.
Defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick that it was quite evident that alcohol plays a significant role in her client’s offending and that he “acknowledges he has an addiction to alcohol.”
On four of the offences Judge Susan Fay convicted Mr Krogolewski of being intoxicated in public places and fined him €100 on each. For the offence on 22 December 2024, he was fined €150. He was also convicted and sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for two years, for engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour along the Abbeyleix Road on 10 June.
