Cahersiveen court round-up: crime in a forest, and along a narrow road

Petr Herak of Tralee was fined €1,800 for disposing of 40kg of rubbish in a Coillte forestry area at Ballygamboon Upper, Castlemaine, on September 23, 2025. The court heard the offence was punishable by a €5,000 fine, with clean-up costs of €1,480 and county council legal fees of €320. Mahmood Hussain of Inch Beach was fined €400 for driving 98kph in a 50kph zone on the R561 at Castledrum on July 27, 2025. Gareth Brain of Cahersiveen was sentenced to eight months imprisonment for theft at 6.50am on March 26, 2026 at the Kerry Coast Inn, taking items worth €365 including keys, a phone charger, and lunch food, with CCTV recording and no recovery of items.

"Petr Herak of St Joseph's Estate, Spa Road, Tralee was fined €1,800 after two letters with his name were found amongst 40kg of rubbish dumped at Ballygamboon Upper, Castlemaine, a Coillte forestry area, on September 23, 2025. It was his first conviction. The charge, disposal of waste in a manner likely to cause environmental pollution, is punishable by a €5,000 fine, the court heard. Clean up costs were €1,480 and the county council's legal fees were €320, the court heard."

"Defence solicitor Brendan Ahern said his client had lost his job, was unable to afford waste disposal and went to the site with a friend who offered to 'take care of it'. "And dumped it in an area of natural beauty where people go walking," said the judge, noting it was a recreational area for walking. "It's a particularly mean crime," said the judge."

"Mahmood Hussain (71) of Inch Beach, Inch, was fined €400 for driving 98kph in a 50 kph on the R561 at Castledrum on July 27, 2025. "That's a very narrow road," said the judge. "It's not that narrow, he lives locally there himself," said solicitor John O'Dwyer. Mr Hussain had no previous convictions and, for that reason, the judge said he would not disqualify him."

"Gareth Brain (44) of Fertha Drive, Cahersiveen, was sentenced to eight months imprisonment after pleading guilty to theft at 6.50am on March 26, 2026 at the Kerry Coast Inn on Church Street, Cahersiveen. The court heard that while a delivery driver parked his van and organised himself, Mr Brain opened the passenger door and took items including a gear bag, car keys, house keys, a phone charger and 'lunch food', totalling €365 in value. No items were recovered and the crime was "clearly" recorded on CCTV, said Sergeant Stephen O'Brien."

Read at Irish Independent