Sound of music alerted police to after hours drinking
Chris Donegan • Published 20 Feb 2012 15:00
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The sound of loud music coming from a village pub at three o'clock on a Sunday morning attracted the attention of police, who found a number of party-goers still celebrating.
As a result the publican, 28-year-old Francis Richard Greene, of Lisolvan Park, Brookeborough, was prosecuted for selling alcohol outside permitted hours.
He was fined £250 when he appeared at Fermanagh Court and admitted the offence.
A prosecutor explained that around 3am on Sunday, November 27, last year, police on duty in Brookeborough heard loud music coming from the Forrest Inn on the village's Main Street. When the officers called at the premises, Greene let them in. They found two men standing in darkness, one of them with a bottle of beer and the other with a glass containing a clear liquid, which the officers suspected was alcohol. The police checked the till and discovered that the last drink was sold at 3.04am. Greene told them there had been 12 to 14 people in the bar before they came in.
Defence solicitor, Mr. Gary Smyth, said Greene was trying to make a go of the business in difficult times.
"There had been a party and he had difficulty trying to get the crowd shifted," explained Mr. Smyth.
Deputy District Judge Neil Rafferty said it was "always very difficult getting a crowd shifted when you are selling drink at five past three in the morning".
Mr. Smyth said there had been no difficulty since this incident.
The Deputy District Judge pointed out that Greene had previously been cautioned for selling drink after hours and said the difficulty would come when he went to renew his licence.
Mr. Smyth said the music was coming from a juke box. One of the customers had turned it on. Greene had since barred that customer from the pub.
The Deputy District Judge remarked: "One would have a lot more sympathy for him if it wasn't for the previous caution."
He warned Greene: "If you continue to do this the renewal of your licence will be threatened."
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