Student given chance to pay for damage after drunken night in Cork

A CROATIAN film student in Galway lost his bank card on a drunken visit to Cork at the weekend – and to solve his accommodation problem he broke into a car.

Leo Tihic started the weekend by celebrating his 26th birthday, solicitor, Shane Collins-Daly, explained at Cork District Court today.

Things began to go wrong for Tihic when he drank too much on Saturday night, July 25, and lost his bank card.

Garda Paraic White encountered the young film student sitting in a car with a broken window on Wellington Road, Cork.

The young man was arrested and brought before Cork District Court today where he pleaded guilty to smashing the front side passenger window of the car and then getting into the stationary Fiat.

Mr Collins-Daly said, “He is from Croatia. He is here for the past two years. He is living in Galway. He works in a coffee shop part-time and he is a student of film production in Galway.

“He came to Cork and lost his bank card after he had been drinking. He had nowhere to stay. He broke into this car. It was his birthday. He has no previous convictions. He only came to Cork for the weekend,” Mr Collins-Daly said.

Inspector Ronan Kennelly said that Garda Paraic White found the defendant sitting in the front of the car with a front window broken beside him and found that the young man was wearing gloves at the time.

Judge Olann Kelleher said that he would give the defendant a chance to pay for the damage he caused in order to avoid a custodial sentence.

Sentencing was put back until September 1 for that purpose.

“He is at risk of custody if is not paid,” Judge Kelleher said.