A judge has described as “daft” gardaí paying specialist cleaners €280 to clean up a mess caused by a man in custody when he urinated on a cell door and floor at Ennis Garda Station.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan said “a mop and bucket” would have done the job of cleaning up the mess caused by Patrick Maughan (37) of Westbrook House, Gort Road, Ennis on September 19th.
Sgt Aiden Lonergan told Judge Durcan it cost gardaí €280 to get in specialist cleaners to clean up the urine mess made by Mr Maughan.
Judge Durcan said: “I think it was an unnecessary spend. A person with a mop could have cleaned that up. We have all have to deal with what cats do, what dogs do.”
The judge added: “I hear the head of the gardaí is involved in all sorts of cutbacks and I would simply say to the Commissioner [Drew Harris] to start at the bottom of the ladder.”
In response, Sgt Lonergan stated: “There is a balance to be struck. It is urine and it is a matter that has to be dealt with in a certain way.”
He added: “I would have to say judge that gardaí would be better employed keeping the streets of Ennis safe and the roads safe rather than cleaning up Mr Maughan’s urine.”
In reply, Judge Durcan said: “It is not a job for a Garda. Of course not.”
Mr Maughan pleaded guilty to a criminal damage offence at Ennis Garda Station on September 19th.
Sgt Lonergan said the criminal damage offence arose from Mr Maughan urinating on the floor and door of his cell and the urine flowing across a hallway at Ennis Garda Station.
Judge Durcan adjourned the case for Mr Maughan to pay €100 compensation.
Judge Durcan told Mr Maughan’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey that the compensation could be worked out with the cost of a plastic mop “and the cost of a plastic bucket you would buy from Mrs Heffernan at Dunnes Stores”.
Margaret Heffernan is the daughter of the chain’s founder and is regarded as its matriarch. She has passed over control of much of the business in recent years to her daughter, Anne Heffernan, and her niece, Sharon McMahon.
