Portlaoise Court: Man tried to swim across river to get into Electric Picnic
Portlaoise Courthouse
A MAN who was detected soaking wet after trying to gain illegal access to this year's Electric Picnic by crossing a local river came before Portlaoise District Court on public order offences.
Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said that at 8.30pm on 17 August, gardaí came across Gavin Keyes, 9 Elm Crescent, Ballacollig, Mountmellick along the Timahoe Road in Stradbally “soaking wet and in a very agitated state.
“He smashed his own phone on the ground and was very angry. When he came to his senses, he was ok.”
Mr Keyes pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place and to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at the time.
Mr Keye’s solicitor Philip Meagher said that his 31-year-old client had “tried to gain access to the festival but came a cropper in the river. Being aggrieved, he could not gain access he took it out on his phone. Perhaps the soaking he got in the river brought him to his senses.”
Judge Deirdre Gearty convicted the defendant of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and fined him €200.
She took the other matter into account and fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.
