GALWAY JUDGE CONCERNED OVER PEPPER SPRAY ATTACKS

Date Published: 09-Jul-2009

Galway District Court judge Mary Fahy says she's worried about recent pepper spray attacks in Galway city Hospital staff have been suffering from the effects of the spray while treating people who have been sprayed in the eyes with the highly irritant substance.Judge Mary Fahy said she has heard that a whole area of the hospital had to be evacuated recently when doctors and nurses were overcome by the spray while treating two young people who had been sprayed in the eyes with the substance.Judge Fahy made her comments while hearing evidence of how the Eye Cinema in Galway city had to be evacuated at around 10 p.m. on January 20 last year after a 19 years old student sprayed pepper spray into the air vents leading to the cinema from an underground car park.Mark Gavigan, 79 Monalee Manor pleaded guilty to having pepper spray in his possession in a public place at the Eye Cinema, which was adapted for use to cause injury or incapacity to a person, contrary to Section 9 (4) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.He also pleaded guilty to having pepper spray in his possession later the same night at Kelleher's filling station Salthill, and with assaulting the Polish assistant causing him harm