Man used angle grinder to destroy parking meter

A Dublin man who used a crow bar and angle grinder to destroy a parking meter because he was annoyed about a fine has been remanded in custody pending sentence later this month.

Peter Moore (25) of Lynnwood, Ballyboughal, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage at Chapel Lane, Swords on January 20th, 2015.

His 47 previous convictions include road traffic offences, criminal damage and theft.

Garda Amanda King told Anne Rowland BL, prosecuting, she arrived at Chapel Lane to find Moore putting an angle grinder and crow bar in a boot of a nearby car.

She arrested him and he later admitted in interview that he damaged the parking meter because he was angry about a parking fine.

Fingal County Council estimated that the damage cost them €11,000 which included the re-installation of a new parking meter, disposal of the damaged one and removal of the concrete base of the old one.

Garda King agreed with Paul Comiskey O’Keeffe BL, defending, that his client had €3,000 in court to offer as compensation.

She accepted that Moore had a cocaine and alcohol addiction but also acts as a carer for his mother who has motor neuron disease.

Mr Comiskey O'Keeffe said Moore worked with the charity the Homeless World Cup and assisted them with fundraising activities. He said his client had taken "steps towards his rehabilitation".

Judge Martin Nolan described Moore as a vandal and noted his previous convictions for criminal damage. He said Moore had an obligation to obey the law and said he was "somewhat a menace" but noted his criminality was "mostly" for minor offences.

Judge Nolan adjourned the case to June 23th for sentence after saying he didn’t realise it was so expensive to re-instate a parking meter.