Men in court give unusual reason for trespassing at vacant Offaly house

A DRIVER parked at an empty rural house in Offaly because two of his passengers had been drinking and wanted to “relieve themselves”, Tullamore District Court was told.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan told the court that on December 23 last year a man saw a vehicle parked at a vacant house at Doory, Clara.

Gardai arrived and spoke to the driver, Roman Holub (30), Block 4, Main Street, Tullamore, and he could not offer a reasonable excuse for being on the property.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said Mr Holub had previous convictions for road traffic offences but his two passengers, Dezider Ziga (38), High Street, Tullamore, and Frantisek Ziga (18), Offaly Street, Tullamore, did not have any.

He said the property was on a farm and nothing had been taken from it.

Defending solicitor Donal Farrelly said Dezider Ziga and Frantisek Ziga had been drinking considerably at the time and they pulled up at the front gate of the property which was out in the country.

Mr Farrelly said Mr Holub was an unemployed cook and a father of one child, aged 10. He added that all three were pleading guilty to the offence of trespassing even though the matter could have been fully defended in court had they wished to do so.

Judge Catherine Staines imposed the Probation Act, saying the defendants, who were assisted in court by an interpreter, had no previous convictions for similar offences, had not put anyone in fear and had committed the offence at a derelict house.

However, if they wished to relieve themselves in the future they should do so at a more suitable location, said the judge.