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Irishman urinated on French bread in protest at Henry handball, court told
(ROSCOMMON, IRELAND) A drunken unemployed plasterer who was found urinating
on the French loaves section of a large supermarket in protest at the
infamous handball incident in the France vs Ireland World Cup qualifier,
was this week given a suspended sentence, fined and bound over to keep the
peace.
Frances “Smokie” Larkin, The Meadows, Killareagh, Co Roscommon pleaded
guilty to the incident at Maher’s ValueStore supermarket, Killareagh, one
week after the match which Ireland controversially drew after the French
goal was deemed to have scored despite a blatant handball by French striker
Thierry Henry.
Staff found the 46-year-old urinating on the Cuisine de France section of
the bread shelves in Maher’s, shouting “this will teach ye, ye cheating
French b*****dddds,” before he was taken away by local gardai.
Gardai Anthony Flanagan told the court that he had been called to the store
at 11.15 on the morning of November 25.
“When I reached the shop, I was informed that Mr Larkin was causing a
disturbance in the bread section and when I got there, he was urinating on
the French bread section and stamping on a loaf. I later ascertained that
the loaves were brioches, a sort of French bread.
“When he saw me, he tried to run away but I apprehended him and grabbed him
by the arm. He said ‘that’s for Thierry Henry, guard. If you have any pride
in your country, you’ll let me go.
“Then he said ‘that’ll teach them, the cheating French b*****dddds.’”
Addressing the court, Angela Roche, solicitor for the defendant said that
her client had a problem with drink and that normally he was a placid
character.
“It is when he mixes alcohol with his passion for sport that he gets
himself into situations like this,” she said.
She said that Mr Larkin had become quite agitated with the result of the
World Cup match and had worn an “I shot Thierry Henry” t-shirt that he had
made up in a local t-shirt shop,” she said.
In evidence, Mr Larkin apologised to Mahers store and said that he “had no
axe to grind with them,” but that they had been caught up in what he said
was “friendly fire.”
He said that he wanted to make a grand gesture to show that the Irish were
not going to take the controversial incident lying down.
“The French loaf is the symbol of France and so by doing what I did, I was
standing up for Irish pride,” he said.
Mr Larkin had a previous conviction for setting fire to a tennis club shed
in his teens, an incident from which he had earned the nickname Smokie.
In his summary, Judge Fergus O’Halloran said that what Mr Larkin had done
was despicable and was also a threat to public hygiene.
“You did this without any thought to the consquences for the unfortunate
shoppers who had to buy that bread.
“If it was in my power to recommend that you seek help for your alcohol
addiction, I would do so and also suggest that you take some responsibility
for your temper and inappropriate behaviour.
“We cannot have louts like yourself with half-baked ideas about national
pride carrying out acts like this,” he said, before sentencing Larkin to
six months in jail, suspended on condition he does not breach the peace for
one year, fining €500 and ordering him to pay €1,000 to Michael Maher for
the clean up of the bread shelf areas.
(ROSCOMMON, IRELAND) A drunken unemployed plasterer who was found urinating
on the French loaves section of a large supermarket in protest at the
infamous handball incident in the France vs Ireland World Cup qualifier,
was this week given a suspended sentence, fined and bound over to keep the
peace.
Frances “Smokie” Larkin, The Meadows, Killareagh, Co Roscommon pleaded
guilty to the incident at Maher’s ValueStore supermarket, Killareagh, one
week after the match which Ireland controversially drew after the French
goal was deemed to have scored despite a blatant handball by French striker
Thierry Henry.
Staff found the 46-year-old urinating on the Cuisine de France section of
the bread shelves in Maher’s, shouting “this will teach ye, ye cheating
French b*****dddds,” before he was taken away by local gardai.
Gardai Anthony Flanagan told the court that he had been called to the store
at 11.15 on the morning of November 25.
“When I reached the shop, I was informed that Mr Larkin was causing a
disturbance in the bread section and when I got there, he was urinating on
the French bread section and stamping on a loaf. I later ascertained that
the loaves were brioches, a sort of French bread.
“When he saw me, he tried to run away but I apprehended him and grabbed him
by the arm. He said ‘that’s for Thierry Henry, guard. If you have any pride
in your country, you’ll let me go.
“Then he said ‘that’ll teach them, the cheating French b*****dddds.’”
Addressing the court, Angela Roche, solicitor for the defendant said that
her client had a problem with drink and that normally he was a placid
character.
“It is when he mixes alcohol with his passion for sport that he gets
himself into situations like this,” she said.
She said that Mr Larkin had become quite agitated with the result of the
World Cup match and had worn an “I shot Thierry Henry” t-shirt that he had
made up in a local t-shirt shop,” she said.
In evidence, Mr Larkin apologised to Mahers store and said that he “had no
axe to grind with them,” but that they had been caught up in what he said
was “friendly fire.”
He said that he wanted to make a grand gesture to show that the Irish were
not going to take the controversial incident lying down.
“The French loaf is the symbol of France and so by doing what I did, I was
standing up for Irish pride,” he said.
Mr Larkin had a previous conviction for setting fire to a tennis club shed
in his teens, an incident from which he had earned the nickname Smokie.
In his summary, Judge Fergus O’Halloran said that what Mr Larkin had done
was despicable and was also a threat to public hygiene.
“You did this without any thought to the consquences for the unfortunate
shoppers who had to buy that bread.
“If it was in my power to recommend that you seek help for your alcohol
addiction, I would do so and also suggest that you take some responsibility
for your temper and inappropriate behaviour.
“We cannot have louts like yourself with half-baked ideas about national
pride carrying out acts like this,” he said, before sentencing Larkin to
six months in jail, suspended on condition he does not breach the peace for
one year, fining €500 and ordering him to pay €1,000 to Michael Maher for
the clean up of the bread shelf areas.