Dundalk Courthouse
Spinal Injuries Ireland were the biggest recipients of money lodged in the Court Poor Box in Dundalk, according to new figures from the Courts Service.
The information, which were exclusively obtained by Talk of the Town, show that €23,340 was donated to the Court Poor Box in Dundalk in 2012.
A further €5,315 was donated to the Poor Box in Drogheda, bringing the total paid in Co Louth for 2012 to €28,655.
Of that figure, Spinal Injuries Ireland were the biggest recipients, having received €3,500.
The practice of courts directing that money be paid into a court poor box in lieu of or in conjunction with another penalty is a practice which predates the foundation of the State. The practice appears to go back in history and stem from judges’ jurisdiction at common law to exercise discretion in imposing a penalty, if any, and/or imposing other conditions i.e. donations to the poor box or to a particular charity.
It is predominantly used by the District Courts who deal with criminal offences of a less serious nature than other jurisdictions. The individual amounts can vary substantially depending on ability to pay, other penalties imposed and the nature of the offences.
The option of paying into the court poor box arises usually where the offence is minor in nature and would not attract a custodial sentence.
Public order offences are the most common offences for which the poor box option is given to defendants. These include breaches of the peace, intoxication or disorderly conduct in a public place, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place or failing to comply with a direction from An Garda Síochána. It is
sometimes used for road traffic offences, first time, minor drug offences and offences against property or animals.
There are many reasons and instances why the court poor box is used by judges. The accused may never previously have been before the courts, the accused may have pleaded guilty, a conviction might be inappropriate, or might adversely affect employment, career or working abroad prospects, and / or the offence may be of a minor or more trivial in nature.
When combined with the Probation of Offenders Act it provides an option where some financial penalty is considered merited but a conviction and fine are not. It can sometimes be a more meaningful punishment than the maximum fine where the value of a maximum fine may have been eroded by inflation.
Those to benefit from the Dundalk Court Poor Box were:
- Garda Benevolent Trust Fund €200
- St Vincent de Paul (Dundalk – St Malachy’s) €1,040
- Drogheda Homeless Aid Association €190
- North Louth Hospice €1,450
- Spinal Injuries Ireland €3,500
- Dundalk Simon Community €500
- St Therese’s Special Olympics Club €1,890
- Dundalk Active Age Association €450
- Blackrock Senior Citizens €1,160
- The Alzheimer Society of Ireland €1,300
- Rape Crisis Centre (Dundalk) €1,200
- St Vincent de Paul (Drogheda) €230
- Niall Mellon Township Trust €500
- Samaritans (Dundalk) €260
- Dignity 4 Patients €270
- Haggardstown-Blackrock Parish Drugs Initiative €1,000
- St Vincent de Paul (Ardee) €2,900
- Ardee Day Care Centre €800
- Cox’s Demesne Youth and Community Project €1,500
- Other €3,000
In Drogheda, donations to the Court Poor Box went to the following:
- Asthma Society of Ireland €2,000
- Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre €700
- Drogheda St Vincent de Paul Conference €315
- Drogheda Homeless Aid Association €400
- St Vincent de Paul (Drogheda) €300
- Drogheda Women’s Refuge €200
- Other €1,400
Payments marked ‘Other’ are paid to individual victims of crime or to the likes of a Garda, who would be instructed to donate it to a charity on the court’s behalf.
