CUSTODY REMAND FOR ROSMUC MAN

Date Published: 28-Mar-2012

A 70-year-old Connemara man who was given a suspended 11-month sentence for exposing himself to children attending an Irish school last summer, has been taken back into custody for allegedly breaching terms of the suspension.Joe Finnerty, a bachelor from Turlough, Rosmuc, had been warned by Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court last February that he would go to prison if he reoffended during the next two years.Finnerty was charged with breaching the peace and being drunk in public just days after his release back into his local community.A bench warrant was issued at Galway District Court last week when he failed to turn up to answer the public order offences and he was brought in custody before the court today.Sergeant Brendan Kineavy applied to the court today to have Finnerty remanded in custody stating that he had not complied with the strict conditions imposed on him when he received the suspended 11-month sentence in February.Finnerty had pleaded guilty in February to three charges of indecently exposing himself to young girls, aged between 10 and 13, near his home on three occasions between July 14 and 27 last year.He had also pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a care assistant at Merlin Park Hospital, Galway on September 13 last year.Judge Fahy suspended the entire 11-month sentence at the time for two years on several conditions, including that he refrain from alcohol.The judge remanded Finnerty in custody today to next Monday’s court when an application by the Gardai to have the suspended sentence activated, will be heard.