Public order offense-what now?

mkhall

This mortifying for me, so any advice and little judgement would be appreciated. I just received a summons to court for a public intoxication offence and I am absolutely sick to my stomach with worry and embarrassment.
I was out in a well known small town where everyone goes on stage/hens so public intoxication is pretty common there. It's no excuse but I was out on the bank holiday in May and was drinking with a group. I'm a lightweight and there was lots of drink during the day so by night (10pm) I got separated and probably should have been taken home. I don't remember much but here is what I can remember: was told to leave the bar, was compliant but then realised I left my iPhone on the bar and refused to leave the entrance without it. I'm a 5"1 female and have never gotten aggressive at any stage when drinking. Next thing I remember I'm taken down to the cop shop bawling crying until they finally agreed to take me back to my b&b. There was no way in hell I would ever shout at anyone and if someone confronted me even while that drunk I'd be more likely to run away crying. I believe they were frustrated because I was hysterical and not making sense and couldn't get a hold of anyone as their numbers were in my phone. I knew exactly where the b&b was but couldn't remember the exact name. I completely felt awful and was very upset about it for weeks. I told my friends the next day and they said their (local) friends had all been taken down there for one reason or another, point I'm making here is I don't feel like this would have happened in Dublin. I am totally responsible and feel absolutely terrible at the whole thing. At the time I was under an immense amount of stress and have since been so careful about drinking. Today a letter arrived in my post summoning me to court. I think this situation has been completely overdramatised. I was under a great deal of stress during that week and this is so out of character for me. I don't want it to come across like I don't respect the Guards, I have friends in there and come from an extendedfamily of police officers. There were plenty more drunken and disorderly" people in that town that night, one of the girls busted her knee that night when she was knocked down in the middle of a fight outside the nightclub to put in perspective. I can remember a female guard shouting into my face because I was crying so hard because I couldn't remember my b&b address.
Sorry for the long post but I'm almost sick over this. I work with children and am not an Irish passport holder hence my concern. I want to take full responsibility and write a letter of apology, pay a fine but I can not take time off work to travel across the country to a court summons either. I felt horribly after but put it behind me.What can I do?

BaronVon

If it's a first time offence you should have been offered an Adult Caution, or prehaps even been offered a Fixed Charge if it was jsut Section 4 Drunkeness. You could write to the Superintendent asking why you weren't offered an Adult Caution, or you can contact a solicitor to do this on your behalf.

mkhall

infacteh wrote: »

If it's a first time offence you should have been offered an Adult Caution, or prehaps even been offered a Fixed Charge if it was jsut Section 4 Drunkeness. You could write to the Superintendent asking why you weren't offered an Adult Caution, or you can contact a solicitor to do this on your behalf.

This is very helpful thank you. I agree I was too hysterical or inebriated to give my address and the exact caution says you may endanger yourself or a public person? I think this is really excessive, especially considering how underresourced they are and what I've seen go on in that town! Would I write directly to the court house?

nuac

Mod
This forum does not do legal advice
Asap contact a solicitor practising in the court area to which you are summonsed
Good luck
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