Row over money led to windows of vehicle being smashed in Mayo town

A BALLINA man damaged the windows of a vehicle after demanding money from its owner.

Christy Collins, with an address at 17 Fenian Row, Ballina, pleaded not guilty at the local district court to a charge of causing criminal damage to a Skoda vehicle parked at an address in The Sycamores, Ballina.

Martin Collins, who lived at the house in The Sycamores, told the court that at 1.15 p.m. on March 14, 2025, the defendant called to his house and said he wanted to buy some cans of beer but had no money.

The complainant gave Collins nine cans of Bulmers.

Later that evening, at 8.10 p.m., Christy Collins returned to the house.

He appeared very drunk and was holding a bottle of vodka. Collins asked for €30 but he told him he had no money.

Collins then asked him for €20 but, again, the complainant said he had no money.

Witness told the court that Christy Collins then got angry and threatened to hit him with the bottle of vodka and said he would "no longer look him in the eyes" when they passed each other on the street. Mr. Collins returned into his house and then heard glass breaking outside.

He rushed to the front window to see his Skoda vehicle damaged and Collins wielding a steel bar.

He said Collins then came towards the sitting room window in a threatening manner, frightening Mr. Collins' wife and children who were present.

Collins stopped and went away when his wife arrived at the scene.

Defending solicitor Ms.Cathy McDarby said that Christy Collins would give evidence that he arrived at the scene and broke up a fight between Martin Collins and his wife Nicola, who was Christy’s cousin, during which the vehicle windows were smashed.

Martin Collins described this as “lies” and denied the defence claim that he had damaged the car windows himself and was trying to get money out of the defendant.

He said that if the judge ruled he was to receive compensation, it would be going to an autism charity.

Christy Collins told the court that he had been smoking a cigarette outside a friend’s house with Mark Murphy, another witness, when they heard shouting from a nearby house.

They went over to investigate and saw Martin Collins having a fight with his wife.

Christy Collins told the court he "tried to break up" the row and this led to a “scuffle in the garden” between himself and Martin Collins, which was broken up by Mr. Murphy.

The defendant claimed the windows of the car were broken by the time he arrived at the scene. Mr. Murphy described a similar set of events.

Under cross-examination from Garda Sergeant Conor McShane, Mr. Murphy said he was “most definitely” at the scene, that he had pulled Christy Collins out of a fight with Martin Collins and at no point did Christy Collins wield a steel bar.

Judge Sandra Murphy said this was a squaring match between two sets of evidence offered by the complainant and the defendant.

She said there were two different stories and it was for her to believe that this incident occurred without a reasonable doubt.

Judge Murphy said she was satisfied that the State had proven its case.

The judge said this incident had caused a lot of distress because there were children present and affected by it.

She ordered Christy Collins to engage with the Probation Service with a view to completing community service and adjourned the case until May 12 next for a probation report.

* Published under the Courts Reporting Scheme.