Enniskillen Court House
A thirty-five-year-old man, formerly from Lisnaskea, has walked free from court despite running up almost £6,000 in unpaid fees, during lengthy stays in two hotels.
David Daly who was previously remanded in custody after bail was refused at both magistrates and high courts, was eventually freed to an address at Church Road, Swanlinbar. This was on the strict condition he put forward a £1,000 surety.
On release he appeared before Enniskillen Magistrates Court and accepted two counts of obtaining services dishonesty, as well as driving without a licence or insurance.
The court heard police were contacted on September 12 2017, by staff in an Enniskillen hotel who reported Daly failed to pay his £2,032.95 bill. This had been accrued during his stay from June 17 to August 18 that year.
Police viewed CCTV footage in which Daly was identified. He had booked in under his previous Lisnaskea address.
Having been challenged on outstanding funds, he told staff he was going to his bank to withdraw cash. Staff were suspicious and rang him while he was out to check where he was. Daly told them he had no bank card and to look for it in his room.
It was located and Daly returned to the hotel where staff “reluctantly” handed it over.
He advised he would go back to the bank who were preparing the cash to clear his bill.
But he did not appear again.
Meanwhile a further incident was reported, this time at a hotel in Fivemiletown, where Daly had checked in on June 17 leaving on August 18. He left these premises and moved to the Enniskillen hotel the same day.
He failed to discharge the £3,676.25 bill for this stay and staff noted him to be travelling in a Vauxhall Corsa. The registration was checked and found to have no insurance.
Police arrested Daly who claimed he had returned to the premises in question and paid his bills in cash, but this was not the case.
All charges were admitted at court, where it was further confirmed no money has ever been paid toward the hotel bills.
A defence solicitor said his client was required to leave the family home for a time, booking into the Fivemiletown hotel first. He had anticipated being able to return home soon but this turned out not to be the case.
With a wedding taking over the entire hotel, Daly was required to leave, checking into the Enniskillen premises the same day.
District Judge Michael Renahan remarked, “I am very mindful of the time served. I intend to deal with this by preventing any repeat and leave something hanging over the defendant’s head.”
Handing down a sentence of four months imprisonment suspended for two years. He told Daly, “This is by way of a waning.”
No compensation orders were made for the hotels given the inability to pay.
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