MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Attorney-General for Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a gamekeeper of Lord Annally, for shooting at a cyclist on the Lucan Road to Dublin, was only fined 13s. 6d. at petty sessions; and why did not the Crown have the culprit returned for trial to the assizes on a criminal charge?
§ THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.The answer to this question is as follows: On the evening of the 5th instant, a gamekeeper of Lord Annally, named Barrett, met on the public road near Lucan, and had some altercation with, a cyclist, named Evans. After Evans had parted from Barrett and proceeded upon his journey about 80 yards, the latter, unseen by Evans, discharged a gun he was armed with, but did not hit Evans. Barrett was subsequently arrested by the police, brought before the magistrates sitting at Petty Sessions at Lucan, and charged with the offence of shooting at Evans with intent. Barrett admitted that he had discharged his gun on the road, but denied positively that he had fired at Evans, whereupon 912 the magistrates, as they apparently considered the more serious offence not sufficiently proved, at the request of Evans altered the charge into the minor one of having unlawfully discharged firearms on a public road, and dealt with the case summarily, as they had power to do. Under these circumstances the Crown do not consider it desirable to take further action in the matter.
MR. T. M. HEALYasked whether, if the gamekeeper had been an evicted tenant, and had been charged with firing at a landlord, his punishment would have been a fine of 13s. 6d.?
§ [No answer was given.]