A Judge told a company director yesterday that for anyone who took on the courts there could be only one winner, otherwise anarchy would reign.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly sent Richard Cullen, the owner of a network of companies, from Old Bawn Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin, to Mountjoy Prison last night for contempt of court and told him he would deal further with him today.
The judge said that in 1994 the court made an order restraining the use of a site on Naas Road, Dublin, for the business of a builder's suppliers and directing the cessation of the sale of coal and garden supplies.
Cullen had breached that order and had come before the court on May 10th last, when he had given undertakings on oath to cease carrying on the business of a taxi-cab company and garden supplies sales from the premises.
He had failed to honour those undertakings and had been brought before the court in July, when he had been sent to prison overnight before giving further undertakings to the court.
Mr Justice Kelly said he had adjourned the matter for a fortnight and had asked that the situation be monitored. Cullen had not only committed further breaches of his undertakings but had intimidated two of his Naas Road neighbours who had the courage to go to the planning authority about his activities.
He said the evidence of Albert and Mary Winston about the intimidation was even more disturbing. Cullen had followed Mr Winston at a snail's pace in his car while Mr Winston walked to and from work.
"It is going to have to be made clear to him that orders of the court cannot be trifled with," Mr Justice Kelly said. "His undertakings on oath are obviously valueless and I am ordering him to Mountjoy prison overnight, and I will consider tomorrow what further orders I should make in relation to him."
He indicated that when Cullen was brought to court today he should have with him a draft cheque for £5,000 made payable to Mr and Mrs Winston for all they had suffered at his hands.