Councillor pays fine for woman who tore up his election fliers

A local election candidate has attempted to extricate his campaign from an ongoing littering row, by paying a fine given to a woman who tore up his election leaflets in front of him.

The Labour Party's Gerry Sheridan – for the last five years a member of the moribund Mullingar Town Council – said that "particular sensitivities" surrounding the case prompted the move.

Cllr Sheridan, a former council official, was canvassing the Fair Green area of Mullingar on Thursday week last, when a mother-of-three, Michelle Byrne, confronted him for putting election fliers through her door.

Ms Byrne tore up the leaflets, but insists that she then picked them up and put them in the bin.

To her astonishment, she was subsequently reported to Westmeath County Council, whose environment section fined her €150 for littering.

Ms Byrne said that she had no intention of paying the fine, and was prepared to go to prison.

Earlier this week, when contacted by the Westmeath Examiner, Cllr Sheridan said that he had reported Ms Byrne to the council on foot of litter complaints from residents of the Fair Green/Columb Drive area.

But it has since emerged that on Thursday last, May 8, the Mullingar West/Kilbeggan area candidate paid the fine himself.

"There are particular sensitivities in this case, and for this reason, I decided to pay the fine that arose from the incident, myself," a statement from Cllr Sheridan said.

"The residents of Columb Drive have advised me that they will not tolerate littering or illegal dumping of any kind on their estate.

"I will continue to represent the residents on the issue and other issues as I have continuously carried out for the past five years.

"I now wish to focus all my attention on my campaign to win a seat on Westmeath County Council in the Mullingar/Kilbeggan Electoral Area, and for that reason, I will not be making any further comments on this matter."