Judge accuses RTÉ's Joe Duffy of attacking the courts for not sentencing people
Summary
At Ennis District Court today, Judge Patrick Durcan trained his sights on radio talk show hosts for the second time in 10 days when sentencing a petty criminal to a three month jail term for a number of thefts. In the case, Belarussian, Ivan Plechko of Lakeside Close, Mountshannon pleaded guilty to four separate thefts carried out over two days from shops in Ennis. He said: “The shop keepers must be protected and I am going to imprison you.” Judge Durcan’s comments on the Liveline broadcaster and others follow him last week accusing radio talk show hosts of whipping up public opinion on a daily basis that courts are not doing enough in dealing with repeat burglary offenders. Before jailing a serial thief John Brennan (46) of Pella Rd, Kilrush for stealing a child’s money box containing €50 in coins, Judge Durcan said: He said that “the courts don’t respond to the people in the media who whip up public opinion but the legislature does”. “It’s also fair to say that I know a number of towns where we highlighted issues, where the Gardai subsequently did something about it.” Duffy went on to say that the public, politicians, and judges “made up their own minds” about crime and sentencing.