Man punched holes in wall of hotel room in Laois

A man appeared before Portlaoise District Court last week charged with criminal damage at a hotel.

Gary Doyle, 31, of the Iveagh Trust Hostel, Bride Road, Dublin, was before the court on two charges of criminal damage at Room 124 of the Midlands Park Hotel on January 15 this year and intoxication and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at Citypark, Jessop Street, Portlaoise on the same date. 

Sgt JJ Kirby told the court that at 10pm on that date gardaí were called to a disturbance at the hotel. When gardaí arrived they observed a man running towards the car park. 

When they approached him he called them ‘effing b*******’. 

In room 124 there was damage to the wall of €2,200. Mr Doyle had punched holes in the wall. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that Mr Doyle suffered from depression and anxiety. He was on new medication and had drunk on that. 

He was with his partner in the hotel and they had an argument. He had punched the wall. His behaviour towards the gardaí had been appalling. 

His background had led to depression and anxiety. 

Ms Fitzpatrick said he had paid for three nights in the hotel and had spent two nights there. She said the hotel had taken €500 from his account on the same night. 

She also said that the damage needed to be investigated. 

Judge Catherine Staines sought a Restorative Justice Report for May 12 which would allow input from the hotel.