Surveillance had to be placed on a bus shelter in Cork city because of incidents involving the malicious damage and theft of film posters of Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry.
Cork District Court was told yesterday that a Waterford student was very embarrassed at his actions in maliciously damaging an advertisement on a bus shelter of Halle Berry dressed in a leather suit for her role as Catwoman.
Stephen Morrissey (22), Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford, pleaded guilty to an incident during rag week in 2004 when nearly €300 in damage was caused to the bus shelter hoarding.
The fourth-year computer science student admitted his involvement to gardaí and apologised.
His defence counsel attributed the incident to a "an excess of exuberance" on the evening in question.
Mr Morrissey offered €150 in compensation to the court for the damage caused in the incident last autumn.
Judge Terence Finn said that in return for the student paying €400 to the court's chosen charity, he would apply the Probation Act.
Meanwhile, the court heard that gardaí in Cork are concerned about levels of interference with advertising hoardings on bus shelters.
Judge Finn was told that due to a spate of similar incidents, surveillance had been placed on the city centre bus shelter where a poster of Halle Berry in her Catwoman outfit was on display.
Gardaí noted that a number of individuals approached the shelter while it was under surveillance and several proceeded to interfere with the display unit.
They have warned that anyone caught damaging bus shelter advertising displays will face prosecution.