A man who made a racist remark to a Romanian employee at a Galway filling station was sentenced to two months in prison at Galway District Court yesterday.
Judge Conal Gibbons said people who made racist, disparaging remarks deserved to go to prison.
The court heard that Dara Fallon (25), Castle Park, Ballybane, Galway, Fallon had been at a wedding on September 21st last and at about 3 a.m. the following morning he went to his local filling station in Renmore, Galway, to buy a bottle of wine. The Romanian shop assistant told him he could not sell him liquor at that hour of the morning. Fallon became abusive and called him an "f...in" Romanian."
Garda Shaun Durkan said he was called to the scene. He said Fallon had made a racist remark and was arrested for a breach of the peace. Judge Gibbons said he took a dim view of people who made racist remarks.
He said Fallon had made a disparaging and insulting remark to the shop assistant because of his nationality.
"Irish people suffered for years abroad from disparaging remarks being made about them and even up to this day they suffer such remarks in just the same way as the accused has treated this Romanian," the judge said.
Judge Gibbons said Fallon had added to Irish society's "collective shame" as a result. The judge warned that any time anyone comes before his court and is guilty of a similar offence he or she would be going to prison.
"This is outrageous and there is no way such racist remarks can be tolerated," he said, before imposing the sentence.
Defence solicitor Mr Seán Acton said his client was pleading to a breach of the peace and was deeply ashamed for what happened. He also wanted to apologise in open court to the shop assistant. He said Fallon was not a racist but he would now be branded a racist because of one incident. Fallon had no previous convictions, he added.
"I don't like sending people to prison, but I have to do it this time," said Judge Gibbons. "I'm not going to allow anyone to cast aspersions on anyone just because of their nationality. It's outrageous."