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Mr.Paul Finnegan from Carrickmacross ,who is running The Shenanigans Bar, Main Street, Castleblayney, was given a three-month jail sentence for a breach of the smoking ban at premises in Castleblayney and obstruction of a HSE environmental official. Mr. Finnegan who also failed to appear at Carrickmacross court, was also fined €2,000 for the breach of the smoking ban, and further ordered to pay €1,740.90 in costs.
In a separate prosecution, Maria Myles, also of the Shenanigans Bar, was fined €500 and ordered to pay costs of €1,357.94.
Richard Willis, an environmental officer with the HSE, told the court that last December he had observed three young persons smoking in the premises, some of whom were wearing school uniforms.
When he approached Maria Myles, who was in charge of the pub at the time, she said she had not seen anybody smoking, but said she would refer the matter to her employer, Paul Finnegan.
He later received a telephone call from Finnegan in which he had threatened violence against the officer if he returned to the premises.
Mr Willis said he had informed gardaí of the threat.
Inspector Fintan McTiernan, Carrickmacross, said Finnegan had two previous convictions for breaches of the smoking ban which had taken place at premises both in Ballybay and Castleblayney.
At the hearing at Carrickmacross court Judge Sean MacBride said he was satisfied Finnegan deliberately failed to attend court and was "flouting the law." He said that he believed Finnegan was "totally lawless" and in imposing the prison sentence and monetary fine, he also fixed recognisances for an appeal at €1,000.
Paul is pictured collecting a cheque at RTE 's Big Money Game last June.
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Thursday, 10 March 2011 14:12