A Co Cavan man was fined €500 (£394) at Galway District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to a charge of bigamy.
Thomas Larkin (41), Doon Heights, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, admitted marrying Ms Pauline McHugh during the lifetime of his first wife, Ms Theresa Foley. The second marriage took place at Merlin Park Registry Office, in Galway, on April 17th last year.
It was, incidentally, the first fine to be imposed at the court in the new currency.
Det Sgt Gerry Roche told the court Larkin had married Ms Foley at a Birmingham registry office in 1987, and they had two children.
The couple separated in May 1999. Two months later, Ms Foley learned that Larkin had got engaged to another woman. In June last year, she discovered he had got married, even though there was no formal separation agreement or divorce between them.
Ms Foley contacted the supervisor of the registry office in Galway. The General Register Office in Dublin notified the Garda.
Mr Adrian MacLynn, defending, said his client was of limited intelligence and had a narrow perspective of life. He lacked dialogue and was removed from the outside world. Mr MacLynn said Larkin tended to look after his own interests and appeared oblivious to what was going on around him. Steps were now being taken, Mr MacLynn told the court, to regularise his client's marital situation and it was expected that these would soon be finalised.
Judge John Garavan accepted that Larkin's focus was so narrow he could not be considered devious or malicious. He observed that entering into matrimony in this day and age was a serious matter. On hearing that Larkin was in receipt of social welfare disability payments, the judge said a custodial sentence would serve no purpose, and he imposed the fine.