Homeless man 'living on the streets' jailed for damaging plants at five-star Limerick hotel

A HOMELESS man with more than 100 previous convictions has been sentenced to nine weeks' imprisonment after he admitted multiple new offences.

Martin Ryan, aged 47, pleaded guilty to the offences when he appeared before Limerick District Court via video link from Limerick Prison.

Sergeant Sean Murray said all of the offences occurred when the defendant was intoxicated and that most of the prosecutions were for offences under the Public Order Act However, two of the cases, he said, related to incidents of criminal damage.

He told the court that on May 12, last gardai were alerted to a male who was kicking cars and taxis while walking along William Street in the city centre. The specific charge before the court related to hundreds of euro worth of damage which was caused to the passenger door of a taxi.

The other criminal damage offence related to an incident outside the Savoy Hotel at Henry Street in the city centre on April 30, last.

Judge Patricia Harney was told while walking outside the entrance of the hotel, at around 7.30pm, the defendant pulled plants out of five separate pots and "threw them out onto the street".

That incident, Sgt Murray said, was captured on CCTV and the total cost of the damage caused was €500.

Solicitor Sarah Ryan said her client, who has a total of 111 previous convictions and who suffers from a disability, has "fallen between" the homeless services in Limerick and Clare in recent months and that he is currently living "on the streets" and in tents.

She said there is a "fairly sad background" to the case but that her "hands are tied" given his instructions to her.

Judge Harney imposed a two month prison sentence in relation to the taxi charge, back-dating it to the date Mr Ryan first entered custody. An eight-week prison sentence was imposed in relation to the incident outside the Savoy Hotel while a one-week sentence was imposed in relation to one of the public order offences. 

All of the sentences are to be served consecutively to each other.