A city publican performed his civic duty by calling the gardaí when he spotted a 21-year-old sportsman rugby-tackling and breaking the wing mirrors off three parked cars.

Inspector Mick Coppinger told Galway District Court this week that the owner of a pub at Raven's Terrace, Dominick Street, Galway, called the gardaí at 1.32am on 21 November last when he saw a young man rugby-tackling the wing mirrors, causing them to break.

Before the court was Daniel McManus, a native of Co. Donegal with an address in Galway at 8 Willow Park, Shantalla, who pleaded guilty to three charges of causing criminal damage to the cars.

Defence solicitor, Valerie Corcoran said her client had paid the €723 worth of damage he had caused almost immediately and he was mortified and ashamed to find himself before the court. She said he had been working in Galway for the last two years but had handed in his notice following this incident and was moving back home until he goes to university in September. She said McManus plays rugby and was not a regular drinker but he did drink too much after being at a sports event earlier that day.

Judge Mary Fahy said every judge has the power to apply the Probation Act if they felt a person would not come before the court again. She said she would take a chance on McManus and applied the Probation Act, which does not record a conviction. "I hope we will not be seeing him again unless it's on a rugby pitch," she added.

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