People passing the front gates of Cork’s Bishop Lucey Park in Cork last Friday had to avoid a man whirling long chains with fireballs attached, writes Liam Heylin.
Mikolaj Plichcinski, aged 35, of no fixed address pleaded guilty to the wilful obstruction of the free passage of people on Grand Parade, Cork on Friday, January 27, failing to desist when directed by Garda Donal Daly, and failing to provide his name to the garda.
Inspector Ronan Kennelly said that shortly before 3pm on Friday, Garda Daly observed a man obstructing the free passage of pedestrians outside Bishop Lucey Park on Grand Parade, Cork.
“Garda Daly observed this man standing approximately 10 feet outside the front gate of the park. He was swinging two chains, approximately two feet in length.
“The ends of both of these chains had an attachment which was on fire. The male was swinging these chains in two wide arcs, causing quite a large obstruction on the footpath.
“Garda Daly approached this man and informed him that would have to cease his actions,” Insp Ronan Kennelly said.
Garda Daly explained to the man that he would have to leave the area and that failure to leave could result in various penalties.
The accused refused and told the guard: “I don’t recognise your jurisdiction.”
Judge Olann Kelleher said the accused had behaved disgracefully at a special sitting of Cork District Court on Saturday.
The judge said the accused acted up, banging his chest with his fists and throwing himself on the floor. Judge Kelleher said the accused had to be lifted physically from the floor and carried out of the courtroom.
The solicitor representing him yesterday — coincidentally sharing the same name as the garda — Donal Daly, said the accused had mental health difficulties.
Plichcinski was sworn in yesterday and told Judge Kelleher that he had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic in 2003. He apologised for his behaviour in court on Saturday.
Judge Kelleher said the accused was a different man in court yesterday.
The judge fined him a total of €600 and imposed a four-month jail term suspended on condition that he would keep the peace for the next two years.
He warned Plichcinski that he would go to jail if he got into any further trouble in the next two years.
Mr Daly, solicitor, put it to his client when he was in the witness box, that he would have to stop swinging chains with lighting ends in public places.
“You cannot be on the street whirling these things around even if you think it is entertainment,” Mr Daly said. Plichcinski said he now realised that.
Mr Daly said the accused had already suffered as a result of his behaviour as he spent Friday night in the Bridewell garda station and the next two nights in prison following his outburst in court and his failure to take up the offer of a solicitor to represent him on Saturday.
This article first appeared in the Irish Examiner.
