Judge: ‘You had no excuse - people were dying in this’

A 47-year-old Iraqi barber who was found cutting his clients' hair at his Dunshaughlin shop in breach of Covid regulations in 2020 escaped a conviction on a legal technicality but was given a telling off by Judge Miriam Walsh at Trim District Court.

Amar Hashim Ridha Al Husseini with an address at Caislean Manor, Athlumney, Kentstown Road, Navan was charged with breaching the regulations at his Crew Cut Barbers premise at Main Street, Dunshaughlin on 7th May 2020.

Garda King said that he was on patrol with another Garda at 11.40pm on the date in question. The front of the premises appeared shut but the back door was open. The defendant appeared with a pair of clippers in his hand. inside, one man was in the barber's chair having his hair cut and the other men were waiting to have their hair cut. He told defendant that his retail premises should not be open due to Covid regulations and he said he didn't know this. He also admitted that he lived in Navan and was in breach of the 5km limit on travel.

Garda Peter Stapleton said there was no protection equipment in sight and there was no social distancing in operation. He directed all on the premises to leave. No excuse was given for breach of the regulations.

The judge was told that the distance from Athlumney to Dunshaughlin was 15 to 20kms.

Defending barrister James O'Brien argued that the prosecution had submitted a sub-section of the regulations whereas the entire regulations should have been submitted to the court. Judge Walsh agreed with his submission and dismissed the charge against his client.

However, as Mr Al Husseinini was leaving the court Judge Walsh called him back and told him that while she had to dismissed the charge she took a very bad view of of someone who had customers in his barber shop "while the rest of us had to put up with the regulations". She said that she herself had been in bad need of hairdressing during the pandemic but had had to put up with it. "How dare you be in your shop chopping away at people's locks. You had no excuse. People were dying in the middle of this".

She enquired which country he came from and when told it was Iraq she said: "I'm sure there were people dying of Covid in Iraq, too. How dare you. Get out please."