A Dublin man was yesterday given a two-year conditional discharge at the Magistrates' Court in Derry when he admitted a charge of begging outside a shopping centre in the Waterside area of the city earlier this week.
Two days before his arrest, he had been convicted of a similar offence in Newry, Co Down.
Patrick Doran (42), from Blackrock Halting Site, Dublin, admitted a charge of begging or gathering alms in a public place at Lisnagelvin Shopping Centre last Thursday, contrary to Section 3 of the Vagrancy (Ireland) Act, 1847.
The defendant, whose left leg was amputated above the knee several years ago, spent Thursday night in custody at Derry's Strand Road police headquarters following his arrest earlier that day.
A prosecution lawyer told Resident Magistrate Nigel Brodrick that the defendant had initially been spoken to by security staff at the shopping centre before the police were called.
"When the police arrived he was spoken to in relation to the offence and advised not to continue. He said he was gathering money for the homeless and continued begging in front of the police.
"He was then arrested. He committed this offence two days after he was convicted of a similar offence at Newry Magistrates' Court for which he received a two-year conditional discharge," the lawyer said.
Defence solicitor Séamus Quigley said the defendant, who is divorced, began to travel around Ireland shortly before Christmas.
"His idea was to visit friends and acquaintances. He suffered an above the knee amputation of his left leg a couple of years ago and one of the things that follows from that is that he is entitled to free public transport and that is how he was able to travel around the country.
"He travelled right throughout Ireland and that is how he eventually ended up in Northern Ireland. His difficulties have been compounded by the fact that he has lost his disability travel pass and his ability to get back home has been severely affected.
" It appears since he lost the pass he has been attempting to get funds to go back to Dublin," said Mr Quigley.
Asked by the magistrate how his client had made his way from Newry to Derry, Mr Quigley said that after his appearance in Newry court last Tuesday, the defendant went to a nearby filling station and was given a lift by a lorry driver.
"He simply asked the driver where he was going and when he was told Derry he got into the lorry. He arrived in this city by accident.
"When arrested by the police, he had £13 and €15-20 on him. This is not a situation where you have an individual who is attempting to go into custody. He is a man who has attempted to make his way home and the money he has on him is enough to get him on the Dublin bus," he said.
Imposing the conditional discharge, the magistrate said he would not make an order forfeiting the defendant's money because "that would only hamper his attempts to get home.
"I would encourage you, Mr Doran, to return to your own jurisdiction and I hope you will return to your place of abode," Mr Brodrick said.