[ChippingSodbury]

Make sure you get a solicitor and make sure and get them on time i.e. not the morning of the court.
Lord knows you sound remorseful but you need to make sure that the judge understands this too.
I was arrested on a Thu night and left out on £20 bail the next morning (all I had in my pocket). The court was on the following Wednesday and I must say, they were a long few days: all sorts of things go through your mind. But most judges are sensible people and see this kind of thing every day. Hopefully all will go well and it'll be a lecture, a (small) fine and a dismissal. I can also remember the ignominy of having to go to the Bail office in the court collect my £20 afterwards (which was promptly used in the post-court celebrations!)

[mikom]

Originally Posted by mikemac1

Been in court twice for TV licence
Could you live with the shame??

How did both work out for you mikemac1?

[stovelid]

Aye. 3 times.

As for your court appearance: DO NOT turn up to the court without a solicitor. And have enough money on you (bring a few hundred) to make a donation to the poor box.

[PrettyBoy]

Got arrested last night with a mate of mine, first time both of us have been arrested..coming from Templebar and a group of 8 or 9 lads were slagging off the girls we were with, had a bit of a row but the girls got us to walk away. The lads followed us up the street, continued to slag the two of us and the two girls and we ended up scrapping with four of the lads. 2 guards quickly intervened and 1 of them got a dig. The guards got us on the ground and handcuffed us, the one that got a box was furious, he was walking me over to the car and said in my ear "Wait til wer back at the ****ing station I'm goin to ****in kill ya" ... he sat in the back of the car with me and my mate, we explained how it all kicked off and I told him I was sorry he got a box, I would never intentionally hit a guard, etc. They said they could understand where we were coming from and that he knew I didn't mean to hit him, spent an hour in the cell and they let us go then, gave the two of us adult cautions and told us to stay out of trouble.

Very stupid situation in the first place but it happens with drink, could have been a lot worse but we got off very lightly all things considered. As far as being arrested goes I'd say it was a great experience, guards were very understanding and we were in "The Ritz Carlton of Garda stations" as they put it

[stovelid]

Originally Posted by PrettyBoy

Got arrested last night with a mate of mine, first time both of us have been arrested..coming from Templebar and a group of 8 or 9 lads were slagging off the girls we were with, had a bit of a row but the girls got us to walk away. The lads followed us up the street, continued to slag the two of us and the two girls and we ended up scrapping with four of the lads. 2 guards quickly intervened and 1 of them got a dig. The guards got us on the ground and handcuffed us, the one that got a box was furious, he was walking me over to the car and said in my ear "Wait til wer back at the ****ing station I'm goin to ****in kill ya" ... he sat in the back of the car with me and my mate, we explained how it all kicked off and I told him I was sorry he got a box, I would never intentionally hit a guard, etc. They said they could understand where we were coming from and that he knew I didn't mean to hit him, spent an hour in the cell and they let us go then, gave the two of us adult cautions and told us to stay out of trouble.

Very stupid situation in the first place but it happens with drink, could have been a lot worse but we got off very lightly all things considered. As far as being arrested goes I'd say it was a great experience, guards were very understanding and we were in "The Ritz Carlton of Garda stations" as they put it

You're pretty lucky.

I wouldn't like to be explaining to a judge (against the word of a Gard) that you boxed him by mistake. That could have ended up very badly.

[PhlegmyMoses]

Originally Posted by Fromthetrees

As a teenager but I hope and pray I'm older and less retarted now.

Nope.

[seamus]

Got brought home by the Guards one night.

A mate of mine was on duty and spotted me going into the local 24-hour garage to get a bag of super noodles, and gave me a lift home in the squad car.

Just as well, I was fncking leathered and it was a 20 minute walk home.

[maceocc2]

My oul fella had me "arrested" when I was 10 for stealing sweets from the local spar just to teach me a lesson, was interrogated and spent 2 hours in a cell. Traumatising to say the least.

[PrettyBoy]

Originally Posted by stovelid

You're pretty lucky.

I wouldn't like to be explaining to a judge (against the word of a Gard) that you boxed him by mistake. That could have ended up very badly.

Absolutely, after it happened he said something like "You punched a guard in the face, what do you think the judge is going to say?" ...thought I was well and truly fucked at that point but I was lucky this time.

[mikemac1]

Originally Posted by mikom

How did both work out for you mikemac1?

Twas grand
I was caught, so be it.

Just be straight with the judge over the TV licence and show up with your new one.

Judges don't like messing or long stories. He must have processed forty or so people under an hour, looked very efficent to me.

Like a factory assembly line, they call your name and you go to the top of the room, TV inspector gives a statement on x date I called to mikemacs kip of a flat, An Post solicitor says a few words, judge asks if you have anything to say, you say it, fine given, boom and out the door.

Two hundred euro fine the first time
Three hundred euro find the second time

I learned my lesson

Judges also take things very personally. If you failed to show up to their court it's like a personal insult and a point of disrespect. Which I suppose it is.
The fine will be doubled on the spot

In other cases they'd issue a warrant to arrest you. Bench warrant? Not sure of the legal term
Always, always show up

[Conor84]

Originally Posted by PrettyBoy

Got arrested last night with a mate of mine, first time both of us have been arrested..coming from Templebar and a group of 8 or 9 lads were slagging off the girls we were with, had a bit of a row but the girls got us to walk away. The lads followed us up the street, continued to slag the two of us and the two girls and we ended up scrapping with four of the lads. 2 guards quickly intervened and 1 of them got a dig. The guards got us on the ground and handcuffed us, the one that got a box was furious, he was walking me over to the car and said in my ear "Wait til wer back at the ****ing station I'm goin to ****in kill ya" ... he sat in the back of the car with me and my mate, we explained how it all kicked off and I told him I was sorry he got a box, I would never intentionally hit a guard, etc. They said they could understand where we were coming from and that he knew I didn't mean to hit him, spent an hour in the cell and they let us go then, gave the two of us adult cautions and told us to stay out of trouble.

Very stupid situation in the first place but it happens with drink, could have been a lot worse but we got off very lightly all things considered. As far as being arrested goes I'd say it was a great experience, guards were very understanding and we were in "The Ritz Carlton of Garda stations" as they put it

Seems like you came across a pretty sound Guard - lucky man. Did you think you were going to get a few slaps when he said what he did at first?

I hope the girls were impressed with your efortts

[PrettyBoy]

Originally Posted by Conor84

Seems like you came across a pretty sound Guard - lucky man. Did you think you were going to get a few slaps when he said what he did at first?

I hope the girls were impressed with your efortts

Wasn't sure what was going to happen when he said it, there were a good few people around as we were being arrested and the guard went right up to my ear and made sure no one else heard him say he was 'going to kill me'..he was absolutely furious at the time, when his colleague went to get into the back of the car with us he stopped him and insisted that he be the one to get in the back beside me..for a second I thought I was definitely going to get a few digs but the guards proved to be decent lads, by the time we pulled up to the station the 5 of us were laughing and joking about the whole thing

The girls waited for us, we were only in the station for an hour or so, the whole thing made for a funny night but we don't plan on doing it again any time soon