Jailed for wearing a T-shirt

wicklow | rights, freedoms and repression | other press

Monday July 17, 2006 16:04

by John Kelly

Punk Rock fan imprisoned for seven days for wearing a Sex Pistols T-shirt

A 33 year old man was sentenced to seven days in jail for wearing the T-shirt with the words "Never mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" at a court in Bray on Friday July, 16, 2006. The judge Murrough Connellan refused an attempt by the man to purge his "contempt" after his partner Lorraine Fitzpatrick purchased a plain blue T-shirt. The judge said he had not furnished "good reason" for wearing the garment.

The man 33 year old Philip Dunleavy had been charged with shoplifting from Woodie's DIY store in Bray but before the charges were dealt with by the court, Judge Connellan objected to the T-shirt worn by Mr Dunleavy. He said his contempt of the court was "clear and brazen". Mr Dunleavy's girlfriend Lorraine Fitzpatrick was in court with their eight year old daughter and went to purchase a plain blue T-shirt for her partner in the event of him being able to purge his contempt. The judge, however refused. Ms Fitzpatrick said that "It wasn't that Philip got up last night and ironed the T-shirt... He follows the Sex Pistolsas a group for most of his life, and he wore the T-shirt without thinking about it". She said that her partner was "devastated and in shock" adding that when her daughter "asked why her Daddy was going away in a van, it was very hard to say it was because of his T-shirt".