This man was beginning a two-month jail sentence last night – for not wearing a face mask while shopping.
Martin Stokes is believed to be the first person jailed for failure to wear a mask in a shopping centre under tough Covid legislation brought in late last year.
And a court heard his claim that he only went to Navan Shopping Centre in Co Meath in the first place to buy a face covering – something the judge in his case dismissed as not credible.
Stokes was charged with failure to wear a face covering under regulations signed into effect at the start of December, days before he committed the offence.
He was jailed by Judge Cormac Dunne at Meath District Court sitting in Trim on Tuesday – and is seen in these exclusive photographs being put in the back of a Garda van before being driven off to jail in Dublin to start his sentence.
Stokes, 27, failed to pay an initial fixed penalty notice of just €80 for entering Navan Shopping Centre without a face covering on December 7 – and was then summonsed to appear in court on the charge.
He pleaded guilty – but Judge Dunne jailed him after saying his offence was at the upper end of the scale.
The judge heard that management of Penneys in Navan Shopping Centre called gardai on December 7 because Stokes – of The Old Mill, Rivermill in the town – was not wearing a face covering.
The court was told Stokes became abusive to staff and was later escorted from the shop by officers.
The court also told gardai returned to the area a short time later and found Mr Stokes at the entrance of the shopping centre – without a mask on again.
He was then issued with a standard fixed penalty notice – but was brought to court for not paying it.
Stokes’ barrister told the court that his client – who has 15 previous convictions – was pleading guilty.
He also said that his client said he originally went to Penneys to buy a face covering – but Judge Dunne said he did not accept that.
“That’s not credible,” the judge said.
The barrister also said Stokes claimed he was wearing a mask the second time he went to the shopping centre – but gardai said he wasn’t.
Judge Dunne warned Stokes: “This offence in the currency of a global pandemic is an offence of the higher end.”
And he said Stokes not only failed to protect himself but was indifferent and cavalier as to whether he could infect other members of the public.
Judge Dunne said Stokes had 15 convictions stretching as far back as 2012 in which he had previously had the benefit of a community service order and even a suspended sentence – and jailed him for two months for his latest offence.
He granted him bail in the event of an appeal on his own bond of €100 and an independent surety of €500, €300 of which was to be lodged in cash.
Mr Stokes was in custody last night pending any appeal.
