Two cases heard recently at Monaghan District Court before Judge Raymond Finnegan, reported by the Anglo-Celt with support from the Court Reporting Scheme.

Ten months for damaging five cars

A young man who scraped paint from five cars at Monaghan Shopping Centre car park has been given consecutive prison sentences totalling 10 months.

Robin Curi (20), of no fixed abode, admitted causing criminal damage to the cars on Sunday 21 June. The court heard he was reported straight away and followed by security staff to the grounds of St Macartan's Cathedral at Latlorcan, where he was arrested.

At his original bail hearing on 22 June, Garda Gerard Kennedy said one of the car owners had seen a man in a grey hoodie walk along the side of her car while scraping its paintwork, and four other people reported similar damage. CCTV showed a man picking up an "item" at the gate and walking among the cars before leaving the car park. The garda said repairs were estimated at between €500 and €2,500 per vehicle, and the damaged cars included one registered in 2025 and another in 2024. He said Mr Curi had previously had an address at Cluain Lorcan in Monaghan Town but had most recently been living in a tent on a local greenway.

At the recent hearing, Sergeant Lisa McEntee said there would be no victim impact statements, and that the car owners understood they would not receive compensation because the defendant had no means. She said Mr Curi had no previous convictions and had been in custody since his arrest.

Barrister Dimitry Grinberg, for the defence, told the court that a psychiatric assessment had been sought for his client while in custody but had not happened, despite what counsel described as significant mental health difficulties. Counsel said he accepted causing the damage and hoped to find work on release to raise some compensation.

Judge Finnegan said he accepted what was said, but five people had been left at a loss, and some of the cars were very new. He imposed two-month sentences on each of the five charge sheets, to run consecutively, backdated to 22 June.

Bail refused in alleged scam case

In a separate case, a 57-year-old Latvian national was remanded in custody after being refused bail on three charges under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.

Dainis Grinfelds, with an address at Dublin Street, Monaghan Town, is charged with taking possession of €2,222.48 and €5,000 by electronic transfer from one alleged injured party on 24 March 2024, and of obtaining €9,550.89 from a different party on 15 February 2024.

A garda witness told the court the prosecution opposed bail because of the seriousness of the charges, which carry sentences of up to 14 years on conviction. She said the money, totalling €16,773.37, was received into An Post and Permanent TSB accounts in the defendant's name. The court heard the injured parties had been led to believe they were dealing with genuine representatives of An Post and Vodafone, and disclosed information that compromised their accounts.

Sergeant McEntee said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial on indictment at the Circuit Court. Mr Grinfelds represented himself, given the ongoing dispute between solicitors and the Department of Justice. Judge Finnegan refused bail and certified a Latvian interpreter. He was further remanded in custody to 5 October for service of a book of evidence.

The charges have not been proven, and the defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence.