*Details were outlined at a sitting of Kilrush District Court.
A DRUNKEN ‘shirtless and shoeless’ father told Gardai “f**k you” outside his home a few hours after having “a few drinks” at his five year old child’s birthday party.
After hearing details of the public order incident involving Aladar Surmaj (55) last May, Judge Mary Larkin at Kilrush District Court asked, “Why don’t I just send him to jail and the next time the child has a birthday he can learn how to conduct himself?”
Sgt Aiden Lonergan told the court that at 2.50am on May 16th last, Gardai were directed to attend Mr Surmaj outside his home at Moore Street, Kilrush where he was visibly intoxicated and a danger to himself and others.
Sgt Lonergan said that Mr Surmaj “was shirtless, shoeless and generally dishevelled looking. He was glassy eyed and had slurred speech”.
Sgt Lonergan said that Mr Surmaj of Moore Street, Kilrush was abusive towards Gardai using both abusive and threatening language such as ‘f**k you’ and ‘f**k the Gardai’.
Living in Ireland prior to 2009, Mr Surmaj required a Slovakian interpreter for a hearing into his case.
Judge Larkin commented, “This man has been in this country since 2009 and he can address the Gardai with expletives and he understands how to curse and swear at the Gardai and he is trying to tell me that he needs an interpreter. And he has three children and he doesn’t speak English in this country”.
Solicitor, Colum Doherty for Mr Surmaj said that his client hadn’t drank for three years before his child’s birthday “and had a few drinks on the day of the child’s birthday and things got heated at home that night. The drinking at the birthday party affected him”.
Mr Doherty said that Mr Surmaj is the father of three, aged five, one and three weeks. Mr Doherty stated that Mr Surmaj has worked previously but not now. He said that his client apologises for what occurred on the night.
Judge Larkin said, “Maybe I should impose a Supervision Order and get the Child and Family Agency (CFA) involved. Maybe the welfare of these children is in jeopardy?”
Mr Surmaj told the court that he doesn’t drink now. Judge Larkin imposed combined fines of €200 after Mr Surmaj pleaded guilty to two public order offences from May 16th last.
Judge Larkin told him, “As a man with young children, you just can’t behave as if you have no responsibilities”.
