A man who is “sick” of people putting images of him on the internet, has admitted slapping a woman’s mobile phone out of her hand because he believed she was taking a picture of him in Eyre Square late one night.
Seamus Hynes (35), a native of Headford, who resides at Sandyview Drive, Riverside, pleaded guilty before Galway District Court this week to causing €79 worth of damage to the woman’s mobile phone on September 23 last year.
Sergeant Finbarr Philpott, prosecuting, said a woman approached Gardai at 12.25am that night to complain that Hynes had just slapped her phone from her hand as she was attempting to take a selfie outside Supermac’s.
He said Hynes had twelve previous convictions, including one for causing criminal damage in 2010 and breaching the peace in 2011.
“I’m very curious to know why he did it?,” Judge Fahy asked.
“I’m sick of people trying to put me on the internet. It’s going on quite a lot judge,” Hynes replied.
“People are always taking pictures of him and if you Google him there are lots of pictures and stuff,” defence solicitor, Olivia Traynor said.
She said Hynes had brought €79 to court to pay for the damage.
Judge Fahy said the woman told Gardaí she had been taking a selfie of herself.
Ms Traynor said her client would not accept that and he felt she was trying to include him in the photo.
Judge Fahy said that putting photos of Hynes up on the internet and making derogatory comments about him was totally unacceptable.
“There is a query, whether she was taking a selfie or if she was including him in the photo,” Judge Fahy observed.
Judge Fahy said it was quite difficult to stop people taking photos in public but that taking photos of people without their consent and putting them up on the internet was unacceptable.
Sgt Philpott said the woman had not been doing that.
Judge Fahy accepted the woman had been trying to take a selfie and she advised Hynes that if people started to take photos of him in future, he was to simply move away. She then warned him he could not behave as he had done on this occasion.
Hearing Hynes was always courteous and mannerly towards his solicitor and the Gardaí and had managed to stay out of trouble since 2011, Judge Fahy convicted and fined him €150 for this offence.
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