The defendant was before the court in relation to 54 offences which he admitted
Dundalk district court has heard how a homeless man had effectively lived in the public office of the local garda station, as he was not welcome at two premises where he had previously stayed including the Simon Community.
Denis Moran (47) of no fixed abode apologised to the court at the end of a lengthy hearing of multiple cases involving 48 charges and six summonses.
The court heard how gardaí who responded to reports of men fighting at the Simon Community on Barrack Street, Dundalk on March 23rd 2024, spoke to the victim of a serious assault who told them Denis Moran had grabbed him by the back of his neck and bit it, drawing blood.
On August 19th the same year and on Februrary 25th 2025, he was arrested for public order offences after being verbally abusive to staff and gardaí at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda.
He was also before the court for assault in Drogheda on April eighth last year, where he kicked in the front door of his ex partner’s home on John Street – and the middle panel of it struck her in the face.
The other offences included a number of thefts from Applegreen, Aldi and Tesco and public order offences at various locations in Drogheda and Dundalk, including on multiple occasions at Dundalk Garda Station where he used highly abusive language towards gardaí – including on November 27th 2024 when he demanded to sleep in a cell before threatening to smash every window in the cars parked outside and went on to kick a wing mirror.
On October 24th last, he also took a fast food delivery from the door of a house at Riverside Crescent.
The court heard he had also trespassed at an address on De La Salle Terrace where he had once been allowed stay but was no longer welcome there.
The Defence solicitor said his client, who had 45 previous convictions, has been in custody since December and had effectively self-detoxed.
He added that prior to that Mr Moran had rejected all forms of assistance he had been offered and had declined to enter treatment, which resulted in a rapid descent – in a spiral towards rock bottom and promptly got there.
The solicitor said because he was not welcome anywhere else, his client had lived in the public area of Dundalk Garda Station for 18 months, but he now presents in much better shape.
He added the 47 had realised because it was winter if he did not go into custody he’d be dead, adding “He saw the red light ” and “went in”.
Judge Nicola Andrews told the defendant she remembered his first appearance before her, as he had called her “a ray of sunshine on the bench”.
She added “there is a catalogue of bad behaviour here” and imposed a 10 month sentence for the assault causing harm on Barrack Street, and a consecutive six months for the Drogheda assault with the final two months of each suspended on him entering a good behaviour bond for 12 months.
He was also directed to stay away from Aldi, Applegreen, Tesco and De La Salle Terrace.
The judge congratulated the defendant for managing thanked the Probation Service “for all the work they have put into you”
Denis Moran told the court “I’d like to apologise to everyone involved”.
Judge Andrews said “I particularly don’t like to hear about that behaviour on Barrack Street or around the hospital”.