AN IT and accountancy student went on the drink and later clashed with Gardai after losing all his course work when his computer crashed, a court has heard.
Donal Purcell, a 45-year-old mature student from Cathedral Hill in Raphoe, told Judge Paul Kelly at Letterkenny District Court that he deeply regretted his actions.
Inspector Goretti Sheridan told the court that Gardai were called to a Chinese restaurant on Meeting House Street in Raphoe on February 14th last.
They found a man asleep and and when he was wakened by Sgt Derek Lynott, Purcell refused to cooperate. He also refused to give his name.
Gardai knew the man to be Purcell.
Judge Kelly asked Purcell why he had been in such a state and why he had behaved that way on the night.
“I thought I was a comedian judge,” said Purcell.
“My computer crashed and I lost a lot of course work. I went to the pub for a couple of drinks and those couple led to another couple and so on. I should have gone straight home afterwards. In fact I shouldn’t have gone out in the first place.”
Judge Kelly asked Inspector Sheridan if Purcell had any previous convictions and she told the court that Purcell had been convicted of 16 offences in January 2009 – all for road traffic offences in 2007 including drink-driving and hit-and-run.
Judge Kelly ordered Purcell to pay €150 to the Youth Diversion Programme in Raphoe and asked him if he would be willing to do that.
“Yes,” said Purcell, “I can pay it today as I haven’t had a drink recently.”