Judge says RTÉ should film drunken antics in Athlone

A judge has said that RTÉ should come to Athlone and other midlands towns in order to film the antics of drunken revellers late at night. Judge John Neilan made the comments while dealing with a case involving public intoxication at Athlone District Court on Wednesday last. The court heard that Dawid Skora (25) of 37 Church Hills, Coosan, was extremely drunk when ejected from a nightclub in the town at 12.40am on April 13 last. A Garda saw the defendant fall to the ground and then try to hit one of the security staff at the nightclub. Mr Skora was then arrested and charged with being intoxicated in public and engaging in abusive or threatening behaviour. After hearing the evidence, Judge Neilan spoke about 'the appalling vista' of people"s behaviour in midland towns when they"ve had too much to drink. He said that he avoids travelling down the main street in Roscommon between midnight and 5am on weekend nights. 'During those hours, everywhere you turn it"s nothing but drunken people vomiting, urinating and falling about the place,' said the judge. 'That"s how it is in Longford, Roscommon and Mullingar. I haven"t been in Athlone that long but I suspect it"s the same here. It"s an appalling vista for anyone to see. 'Why don"t RTÉ come down and film this conduct in Athlone and Longford and Mullingar? They film what"s happening in China. Why don"t they come down here?' He said that he would not have the Gardai used as 'nannies' for publicans and licensees who served people already intoxicated. 'The (licensees") obligation is not just to take in cash at the door. They must have sufficient stewards in place,' he said. 'If the licencees think I"m going to let the gardai act as nannies for them, they have another thing coming. They won"t get any exemptions from me. 'I think the average, ordinary decent person in Athlone would echo these sentiments in light of this constant movement of drunken flesh in the town.' The judge asked Mr Skora if he was more drunk before or after he went into the nightclub on the night of the incident. 'I drank something before I went to the club,' said the defendant. 'And what did you do when you went in, drink water?' responded the judge. 'I drank beer,' replied the defendant. Mr Skora"s solicitor, Mark Cooney, said that his client apologised for his 'totally unreasonable' behaviour on the night in question. Judge Neilan imposed a fine of €200 for the offence of being intoxicated in public, while the second charge of engaging in abusive or threatening behaviour was taken into consideration when imposing this penalty.