Cyclist takes route 20 minutes longer in order to avoid meeting people who threatened him
A CYCLIST’S commute to work is 20 minutes longer as he does not want to meet two people who had a row with him on a cycle lane, Tallaght Court has heard.
Judge Patricia McNamara was reading from the victim impact statement supplied by the cyclist in Derek Curran and Diego Cogolato’s case.
Curran, aged 49, with an address at Whitechurch Cottages, Rathfarnham, and Cogolato, aged 50, with an address at Charlemont Street, Dublin 2, had been found guilty of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour at Dodder Road, Rathfarnham, on July 28, 2016.
A criminal damage case against Curran for damaging a bag belonging to the cyclist had been dismissed.
They were before Judge McNamara for sentencing.
The court had heard that at 8.35am on the above date, gardai had been called to a cycle lane in Dodder Road.
A cyclist had complained that he had been cycling on the designated cycle lane and his way was blocked by two pedestrians.
Arriving at the scene the gardai saw two men running away. Curran and Cogolato were arrested for breaching the peace.
Curran and Cogolato claimed that it was a “communal lane”.
They said they had been on their way to Terenure to have breakfast.
The court had heard that Curran had 16 previous convictions and Cogolato had 28 previous convictions.
Reading the victim impact statement, Judge McNamara noted that the cyclist had changed his route so that he would not bump into Curran and Cogolato again.
The judge said the change added 20 minutes to the journey. She said the cyclist said that he never wanted to see Curran and Cogolato again.
Reading Cogolato’s probation report, Judge McNamara said he had not engaged with the Probation Services and they were requesting a remand to September so he could engage with the programme.
She remanded Cogolato on continuing bail to a date in September for a further report.
Reading Curran’s report, she told him: “It seems that drink is your downfall.”
Curran said: “I’m attending AA and Alcohol Addiction Services.”
Judge McNamara sentenced Curran to two-months jail, suspended for 12 months, and fined him €300.
