40 year old Paddy Hynes of Esker Park, Arcadia, in Athlone is pleading guilty to affray.
A Westmeath man is accepting his part in a 20 minute brawl which involved a broken hose-pipe, a metal bar, and a number of flower pots.
40 year old Paddy Hynes of Esker Park, Arcadia, in Athlone is pleading guilty to affray and to producing a brick during the fight.
The incident took place at the Athlone Civic Centre, on Church Street on December 18th, 2023.
The Irish Independent is reporting Mr Hynes, a recovering drug addict, became embroiled in "a very intoxicated" fracas with another man at 7am that morning all while shocked stallholders were in getting ready for the Christmas markets.
Hynes was spotted picking up a number of flower pots after being chased by the other man wielding an metal bar.
Gardaí were about to respond to the incident before being met by the man Hynes had been brawling with.
He was brought into the station's consultation room for questioning.
Mr Hynes' defence solicitor insists he was not the aggressor and that the other party came at him first with a hose which he pulled off a wall and subsequently the metal rod.
He added he was struggling under the emotional weight of seeing his marriage break up.
The court heard how Hynes has since tried to turn his life, completing a 20 week residential course with the addiction treatment service provider, Cuan Mhuire.
Judge Bernadette Owens asked for an up to date report from service’s aftercare programme and remanded him on bail until October 28th.
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