Milk scam-artist caught on CCTV after 'slipping' on his own setup

Limerick's leading newspaper the Limerick Leader has described Ireland's 'compo culture' being caught on camera after a man was filmed intentionally spilling milk from the refrigerated goods sections before staging his 'fall'.

The incident was caught by Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and the shop owner, who ran an outlet of the popular Spar convenience store where the incident occurred, has said he will sue the milk-spiller, believed to be a local man in his early twenties, if he attempts to prosecute a claim.

The man was seen moving furtively over to the refrigerated goods department before opening a 2 litre bottle of milk and spilling it over the floor.

He then 'slipped'and - best of all - attempted to make a distressed phone-call while partially submerged in the milk.

The incident has garnered some attention in the local media because it highlights the growing problem of insurance fraud in Ireland.

The 'litigation culture' is catching on fast here, and an overwhelming array of tribunals, from the Small Claims Court to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) to the Employment Appeals Tribunal, now means that just about anything from spilt milk to a broken ankle can be successfully prosecuted for often minimal expense.

The Irish Independent reports that dodgy insurance claims now cost the taxpayer a whopping €100m a year, despite a high-profile series of national advertisements aimed at encouraging people to think twice before seeking unfounded redress.

The milk scam-man, however, faces stiff competition for the prize for this summer's most unskillfully executed crime from two thieves who attempted a small-scale bank robbery in Cork earlier this summer.

Two masked mens' audacious bid to rob a local bank in Cork was met with a decidedly obvious lack of trepidation on the part of the amused customers making withdrawals at the bank: several even managed to take photographs of the 'raid' in progress for a local Cork newspaper.

The attempted heist ended in abject failure for the masked pair after a security guard managed (seemingly without difficulty) to disarm one of them of their weapon of choice: a sledgehammer, after which one of the assailants was heard to shout: "Let's get the f**k out of here," before heading away in a small 1.4 litre getaway vehicle.

READ MORE: Irish bank robbers foiled as they drop cash and the keys to the getaway car >

Milkman sets up his 'spill'. Photo: Independent.ie

The slip in progress

Calling for help after 'slip'

DrThom.ie: first online GP sets up 'shop' in Ireland

Online GP DrThom.ie launches Irish operation

A handy convenience or a potentially dangerous endeavour?

That's the question being asked in medical circles about Ireland's first ever online GP (General Practitioner) doctor service, which allows users to collect prescriptions for inhalers, erectile dysfunction, and, controversially, the morning-after contraception pill, over the internet.

DrThom.ie is the online progeny of two Irish Medical Council (IMC) regulated doctors, and allows its doctors to "provide online consultations without the need to see a doctor face to face".

The easy three step process is plastered over its website: fill out a questionnaire, pay the fee, and wait for your prescription to come in the post.

DrThom.ie is part of a bigger 'Dr Thom' operation: DrThom.com earlier this month posted a notice announcing the launching of its services in Ireland; it already does a trade in the UK and has thusfar seen over 200,000 'patients'.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) however have already expressed their worry at the website's recent arrival, saying that face-to-face consultation is part of the medical process.

During a physical exam, the Union claims, other problems often show up: "other things often turn up" unbeknownst to the patient, a spokesperson for the Union claimed.

The Union has also called on the Irish Medical Council (IMC), the body responsible for the regulation of doctors in Ireland, to "urgently" look into the matter.

Because the website does not actually dispense prescription medications but only prescribes them, it is not breaking any law - thus regulation could prove difficult.

The UK version of the site, however, offers a much broader range of diagnoses.

Mental health (depression), heart health, diabetes, and sexual health, are all categories which can be seen at one of the online 'clinics' -- therefore it seems likely that the three 'treatments' being tested on the Irish markets may grow as the site takes off here.

It will be interesting to see what kind of a reaction the site gets over the coming months.

A promo video from the UK branch of the website. Would you use this service?

Cork considers banning hoodies!

A former lord mayor of Cork, Ireland's bustling southern metropolis, is expected to table a controversial motion before the City Hall next month calling for the outlawing of burkas, the full body cloak worn by some Muslim women, as well, incredibly, as hoodies.

Burka Ban

Former lord mayor Joe O'Callaghan, of Fine Gael, said that it was "high time" that Ireland adopted anti-burka measures, citing Belgium and France as two countries that had recently enacted such law.

The French ban has thusfar proved enormously popular with the French public, according to one writer with the Telegraph, despite the large-scale protests that waved across France before its passage onto the statue book.

O'Callaghan said that the burqa was "an affront to women," and argued that it could have no place in society "in this day and age".

Ali Selim of the Islamic Cultural Center of Ireland, reacting to the news, decried the possible ban, which would likely have local rather than national effect, as "unnecessary".

Selim told the Irish Times that he thought the measures were incompatible with modern democracy, and questioned what kind of foresight had gone into the measure being tabled.

"Ireland is a society with a good understanding of religion," he told the paper of record,   adding that "we should aim to unite on a friendly ground, not to cause conflict among members of the same society.

The ex lord mayor, however, likened wearing the burqa to being a like "[wearing] what looks like a curtain all day."

.. and hoodies!

Somewhat incredibly, though, the contemplated ban also includes hoodies!

The reasoning is that they are the apparel of choice for looters, such as those that took part in the recent London riots.

Although O'Callaghan somewhat comically conceded that "in rain, they can be useful", he thought that the greater good called for their ban.

Really, no hoodies!?

I can understand the possible burka ban because -- at least according to this blogger's understanding of Islamic law, or Shaaria -- it is not a mandatory part of a Muslim woman's dress.

Unlike a possible ban on turbans for Sikhs or skullcaps for Jews, there's no real question of compromising freedom of religion.

But hoodies!?

Realistically, however, there's very little chance that the hoodie ban will pass the City Council, let alone be considered beyond the Rebel County, but the fact that a Councillor saw fit to table the idea makes you wonder who we're electing to run our cities -- and what kind of a nanny State Ireland is becoming.

Irish summer students facing crackdown over passport forgery

Irish J1 (summer visa) students in the US are facing a reported security crackdown at airport emigration after many turn to doctoring their passports in order to purchase alcohol.

The students have turned to laminating their passports as a way of attempting to bypass the minimum US drinking age of 21.

The minimum age for purchasing alcohol in the US is three years older than the equivalent Irish age - and one of the oldest in the world - at 21. The limited number of other countries in the world imposing a minimum drinking age of 21 include Kazhakstan, Cameroon, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, however the US limit is considered among the oldest in the developed Western World for purchasing alcohol-containing drinks.

Nation students' union the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) issued a press release yesterday condemning the students' action, and urging students not to try doctor their most important document in order to purchase drink.

"USI is advising any student, who may have attached laminates to their passports, or modified their travel documents in any way, to take immediate action to obtain a replacement passport," the Union's two-term president, Gary Redmond, said yesterday.

The Union said that several students had been arrested while trying to travel on the altered documents.  A modified passport, if discovered, looses its validity for travel, and a replacement is necessary. Altering a passport is also a criminal offence both in Ireland and the US.

The US State Department told Irish media yesterday that those found guilty of tampering with their passports faced a minimum jail sentence of 10 years, while in Ireland the offence carries a five year prison sentence, a €10,000 fine or both.


The Department of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that it was actively offering consular assistance to a number of students forced to come clean about tampering with the documents.


In fairness, the move is one of almost unbridled stupidity on the part of the students involved.

Without condoning it in any way, there are ways plenty of illicit ways for those desperate enough to obtain under-age alcohol in the US to do so without resorting to tampering with their passports. 


The most commonly resorted to method in Ireland is altering provisional driving licences, which can be relatively easily altered with minimum equipment; the potentially criminal sanctions attached to altering passports are widely known, and as a result few are reckless enough to go down that route.

In the US, an impressive black market for forging State ID cards thrives for young Statesiders looking to obtain drink. 

Practically undetectable replicas of State ID cards can often be acquired for under $50, with the ID sharks often developing impressive skills in producing the replicas. 

Some offer the service as a sort of after-hours nixer; few, in big cities, enter the forgery underworld in full time business as small-time criminals, and operate with an efficiency more akin to an organized business than a back-garage style operation.

Given the States' tight airport security checks though, it beggers belief that the students involved thought that adding a lamination to their passports was a good way of getting underage drink, or that it would not be detected on their way back home. 


Irish summer-going students are also traditionally very careful about not incurring any sort of criminal record while on holidays in the US, as such can dent or wipe out any hopes they may harbour of pursuing further education there, or even obtaining a Green Card.

As the State Department statement said with an implied message of 'did you really think you'd get away with this!?': "the presence of the laminate is easily detectable by border control officers and those used to inspect travel documents."


Anyone stupid enough to have tried it almost deserves to be caught.

Gaybo's gone, who next?

Gay Byrne's sudden coming and going from the presidential scene has left the obvious gaping hole of personality in the Irish presidential race that I speculated might develop in my last blog.

With Norris and now Byrne now declared firmly out of the running, it looks as if the only thing that could spare us from the dreary prospect of having 'Michael D' (Higgins) instated as our next head of State is a Fianna Fail backed nomination for Bryan Crowley.

However as Cathal Dervan notes for this website in his article earlier today here, Fianna Fail choosing to back Crowley is by no means  even a certitude.

Party leader Micheal Martin has been left with a decent smearing of egg on his face after Byrne's sudden decision to withdraw from the race, prompted, even by his own admission, largely by the media storm which followed quickly in the wake of his rash comments that 'mad, mad people in Europe' were running Ireland.

Byrne's sudden expression of interest had been spurred largely by what has been a described as an 'encouraging' phone-call from Martin asking him to run, as well similar musings from other Party politicians around the country.

Martin may come to regret the move. It was an unusual show of decision-making prowess and impetuousness from a politician better knowing for his ability to set up a dazzling array of committees than making shot-gun decisions.

His immediate reaction in the wake of the fiasco to announce the deployment of a "sub-committee" to look into the matter of whether Fianna Fail should act on Crowley's expression of interest, or to commit to nominating a candidate at all, is a timely reversion to his more usual style of politics.

Without a doubt it's an unfortunate end to Byrne's little flirt with the idea of running for the job. Although he wishes that the episode would just "go away" he would have been a reasonably likable president, but without him in the standings we're left with a desperate sense of foreboding that Michael D Higgins may just succeed in his bid.

Higgins has thusfar played the media card extremely well.

Unlike either Byrne or Norris he has deliberately chosen to avoid making any public pronouncements capable of courting public controversy whatsoever, taking care, at the height of the Norris fiasco, to proudly announce that he didn't engage in "that sort of politics" (referring to the smearing of Norris), but that's also what makes him so eminently uninteresting.

Slightly further down the popularity table we have the almost equally dreary prospect of Fine Gael's man Gay Mitchell ascending to the throne, whose only endearing quality is that unlike Higgins he doesn't espouse a very anti-American worldview, which seems antiquated, contrary to Ireland's obvious trading interests, and a potentially direct blow to the sort of diaspora reachout that the government seems so eager to build on and foster.

Independents Sean Gallagher, Mary Davis, and 'Dana', at 12, 7, and 6 of the Red C poll respectively, also seem to have done little to ignite public enticement about their respective bids or do anything to dispel the dearth of excitement now lingering around the race, though admittedly the fact that their manifestos have been shunted out of the limelight by the various fiascos could have a lot to do with this.

With the way things are shaping up though, it's turning into a quickly jaded run for the Aras, and unless someone with a bit of charisma, ideas, and appeal steps into the race -- which Crowley could well turn out to be -- a sizable proportion of the electorate, this blogger included, could no longer really care who takes the prize this October.

- docarroll@irishcentral.com

Gaybo: ‘mad people’ run Brussels. Could throwaway comment dent hopes for office?

f

Not even a week after tentative rumours of his possible run for the Irish presidency first began circulating, Gay Byrne has added a minor blotch to his record by claiming that ‘mad people’ in Brussels run the European Union.

“I think there is no backing out now [of the bid for office],” Gaybo claimed in an impromptu media comment after a dinner function, “but it is a mad, mad world and we are being run by mad people in Brussels."

Unfortunately for Byrne, a veteran broadcaster and formerly one of Ireland’s leading television personalities, the slip-up has already been picked up on by over 100 news sources in Ireland and the UK, and been splashed over national news, radio, and tabloids, leading to a very early blip in a bid that seems to have been met with almost universal goodwill across the country.

Although, Byrne (77) has already secured the crucial backing of pop-duo Jedward ("If we were allowed to contest the election we would totally win,” one of the twins also claimed in their comment to the Belfast Telegraph), the anti-EU ‘rant’, as an Irish website characterized it, adds to a long litany of anti-EU views expressed by Byrne throughout his broadcasting years.

Despite Byrne’s suddenly soaring popularity for the Republic’s highest office (a Red C poll conducted for bookmakers Paddy Powers put him as the now favourite for the race, at 28% of the poll), the comments, which highlight his Euroskepticism, may cause disquiet among the politicians pushing him to make the leap and contest the race.

At a time when Ireland’s financial viability hangs largely on its ability to negotiate favourable borrowing terms with the EU/IMF grouping responsible for Ireland's financial bailout, and political leaders desperately clamour for interest rate reductions to enable an easier pay-off, falling out of favour with the money-masters and making slipshod remarks such as Bryne’s outburst may provoke justifiable concern that he may not be suited to the job. David Norris’ deserted spin-doctors may need to be drafted aboard to deal with any future crises.

Despite the minor faux-pas, however, Byrne’s bid for success seems otherwise to be destined for success.

That the Red C poll shows him with a clear majority in favour of him becoming Ireland's next President is a fact made all the more encouraging given that it emerged just days after news of his possible candidacy first broke, while he has also reputedly secured the backing of the requisite 20 members of the Oireachtas (Houses of Parliament) as well as an encouraging phone-call from leader of the Opposition Micheal Martin.

The comments also put Byrne’s politics squarely at odds with other front-runner Gay Mitchell -- Fine Gael’s man for the job who is also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and a long-time believer in all things Europe.

The minor slip up, however, pales in comparison to the previous controversies that have dotted the presidential race.

After David Norris’ failed bid for clemency and pederasty remarks a minor slip of the tongue from the Independent candidate could be the least Irish voters have on their minds when casting the all-important ballot in two months’ time.

Gay Bryne latest contender to consider throwing hat into Presidential ring

Following front-runner David Norris' premature exit from the running for President over the Yizhak Nawi fiasco, Gay Byrne has emerged as the latest name being dropped as a possible pretender to the throne.


Byrne, an immensely popular Irish broadcaster known for years as the face of the weekly Late Late Show has said that he was 'flattered' to hear news that a Dublin radio station poll had pitted him as top dog, or at least people's choice, for the presidential race, though disclaimed making a commitment to the race until the people 'clamoured' for him to run -- in which case, he said, he would respond to public sentiment.

Unlike Fine Gael's choice, European MEP Gay Mitchell, the living personification of the drop-dead boring Eurocrat, and himself caught up in the fading murmurs of another clemency fiasco (although of a far more muted nature) Byrne is almost ubiquitously liked by old-timers and the new generation alike.

Such cross-generational appeal is a rare phenomenon here, but Byrne's relaxed style, gregarious nature, and natural conviviality would make him a popular choice in anyone's eyes.

Despite his popularity, though, one thing he can't control, and what Byrne himself may be the biggest obstacle to a potential bid, is his age.

At 77, and despite his own claims that he is a 'youthful' septuagenarian, Byrne isn't exactly fresh out of the cot, and although the requirements of the office stipulate a minimum age of 35, Byrne, pushing on 80, could be a little old for the job's mandatory seven year term.

Given that he has only recently made 77, he'd be almost half-way down the road towards his nineties by the time it's time to look for his successor. To put it into US perspective, Ronald Reagan was the oldest incumbent to ever take up office at the White House -- comparatively younger, at just 69 years and 349 days.

Despite that rather ageist, though pragmatic, problem, a few signs from Byrne's brief interview in today's Irish Times hint that he may be seriously considering a run for the Áras, as the official residence of Ireland's president is called.

He says that if public 'clamour' is sufficiently vociferous he will respond in kind, and is careful to describe himself as a 'young' 77 year old before throwing in that he was flattered about the radio poll result -- and highlighting that he hasn't even been officially put forward as a runner for the position yet.

These signs of course do not amount to anything nearing a commitment on Gaybo's part -- as he is popularly known in Ireland -- , and are extremely tentative, but his bid for the office would be a welcome break from what, since Norris' surprise exit from standings, is turning into an extremely tedious and unexciting presidential race.

Though Norris was by no means popular, he was flamboyant. A 'character' whose Achilles' heel seems to have been an over-inflated sense of self-worth (he called himself in the letter a figure of 'some consequence' among other glorified self-references) and an unfortunate tendency to write irresponsible letters pontificating other countries' judiciaries about the adequacy (or otherwise) of their legal systems, while continuing a consenting relationship with a convicted rapist (albeit a statutory one).

Unfortunately, however, his clearance from proceedings has left a noticeable void of personality in his wake.

Gay Mitchell, who pipped Pat Cox and other contenders to secure Fine Gael's nomination, is excruciatingly uninteresting, unlikely to curry anybody but the most devout Europhile's enthusiasm; 'Michael D' [Higgins] is another veteran hack whose Anglicized accent, reputedly bad poetry, and anti-American position make him widely unpopular outside of the political establishment (if he is even liked there), and a growing chorus of voices is fast expressing its dissatisfaction at the political sniping and turncoating which prompted Norris' resignation.

Such widespread desire from the people that they -- the people of the Republic of Ireland, not the media nor the Opposition -- chose their President, could play right into any Independent candidate's hand.

And if Gay steps forth to lead their charge, half out of a belief that he'd make a good president, and half out of a complete unexcitement about his prospective contenders, he'd have my vote.

Gay Bryne latest contender to consider throwing hat into Presidential ring

Following front-runner David Norris' premature exit from the running for President over the Yizhak Nawi fiasco, Gay Byrne has emerged as the latest name being dropped as a possible pretender to the throne.


Byrne, an immensely popular Irish broadcaster known for years as the face of the weekly Late Late Show has said that he was 'flattered' to hear news that a Dublin radio station poll had pitted him as top dog, or at least people's choice, for the presidential race, though disclaimed making a commitment to the race until the people 'clamoured' for him to run -- in which case, he said, he would respond to public sentiment.

Unlike Fine Gael's choice, European MEP Gay Mitchell,  the living personification of the drop-dead boring Eurocrat, and himself caught up in the fading murmurs of another clemency fiasco (although of a far more muted nature) Byrne is almost ubiquitously liked by old-timers and the new generation alike.

Such cross-generational appeal is a rare phenomenon here, but Byrne's relaxed style, gregarious nature, and natural conviviality would make him a popular choice in anyone's eyes.

Despite his popularity, though, one thing he can't control, and what Byrne himself may be the biggest obstacle to a potential bid, is his age.

At 77, and despite his own claims that he is a 'youthful' septuagenarian, Byrne isn't exactly fresh out of the cot, and although the requirements of the office stipulate a minimum age of 35, Byrne, pushing on 80, could be a little old for the job's mandatory seven year term.

Given that he has only recently made 77, he'd be almost half-way down the road towards his nineties by the time it's time to look for his successor. To put it into US perspective, Ronald Reagan was the oldest incumbent to ever take up office at the White House -- comparatively younger, at just 69 years and 349 days.

Despite that rather ageist, though pragmatic, problem, a few signs from Byrne's brief interview in today's Irish Times hint that he may be seriously considering a run for the Áras, as the official residence of Ireland's president is called.

He says that if public 'clamour' is sufficiently vociferous he will respond in kind,  and is careful to describe himself as a 'young' 77 year old before throwing in that he was flattered about the radio poll result -- and highlighting that he hasn't even been officially put forward as a runner for the position yet.

These signs of course do not amount to anything nearing a commitment on Gaybo's part -- as he is popularly known in Ireland -- , and are extremely tentative, but his bid for the office would be a welcome break from what, since Norris' surprise exit from standings, is turning into an extremely tedious and unexciting presidential race.

Though Norris was by no means popular, he was flamboyant. A 'character' whose Achilles' heel seems to have been an over-inflated sense of self-worth (he called himself in the letter a figure of 'some consequence' among other glorified self-references) and an unfortunate tendency to write irresponsible letters pontificating other countries' judiciaries about the adequacy (or otherwise) of their legal systems, while continuing a consenting relationship with a convicted rapist (albeit a statutory one).

Unfortunately, however, his clearance from proceedings has left a noticeable void of personality in his wake.

Gay Mitchell, who pipped Pat Cox and other contenders to secure Fine Gael's nomination, is excruciatingly uninteresting, unlikely to curry anybody but the most devout Europhile's enthusiasm; 'Michael D' [Higgins] is another veteran hack whose Anglicized accent, reputedly bad poetry, and anti-American position make him widely unpopular outside of the political establishment (if he is even liked there), and a growing chorus of voices is fast expressing its dissatisfaction at the political sniping and turncoating which prompted Norris' resignation.

Such widespread desire from the people that they -- the people of the Republic of Ireland, not the media nor the Opposition -- chose their President, could play right into any Independent candidate's hand.

And if Gay steps forth to lead their charge, half out of a belief that he'd make a good president, and half out of a complete unexcitement about his prospective contenders, he'd have my vote.

Irish Zionist blogger falls Norris campaign -- amazing story

In another fascinating twist to the seemingly doomed David Norris presidential campaign, a 22 year-old Irish Zionist blogger has revealed himself as the man who leaked the letters showing Norris begging for clemency for his convicted sex offender ex-lover, on Senate letterpaper, to the media.

John Connolly (22), a self-described Zionist and longtime supporter of Israel now living in London, used his Wordpress blog and a little ingenuity to find the incriminating letters before sharing them with the media -- to devastating effect.

Although the witch-hunt for the leaker has already pointed the 'blame' on everyone from the Labour Party, an anonymous trade unionist, to the Israeli Embassy in Dublin, it now seems as if all it took to fall a presidential campaign was an internet connection, a free blogging platform, and a little detective work.

Connolly, originally from Dublin, is a recently qualified law graduate, and clarified in an updated blog post today that he got wind of the letters via trawling through a number of Israeli websites and -- after enlisting the help of a number of Israeli friends for help with the translation -- was able to single-handedly hammer a sizable nail in the rapidly sealing coffin of Norris' bid for presidency.

Connolly's identification as the man behind what some had suspected to be an insider or opponent-led hatchet-job comes as yet another revelation hits the Norris campaign trail: this time that he continued his relationship with his sex offender / ex-lover Nawi for a full five years after his successful conviction -- it now turns out that the two didn't part ways until as late as 2001.

As impressive as the 22 year old's snooping skills are, the case also demonstrates the near impossibility of trying to hide skeletons in your closest in the internet age -- particularly when you've made claims about a country that are patently untrue (Norris claimed in the letter addressed to the Israeli judges that he was a 'strong supporter of Israel' when in fact he is one of its most outspoken detractors in Ireland).

It was only a matter of time before another blogger with similar ideological leanings to Connolly stepped in to dish the dirt.

As the extent of Nawi's convictions continue to became apparent (thanks TheMurphia), and Norris' cover-game continues to run into choppy waters, what aides are left on the Norris trail have good reason to believe that this will may not be the final blow dealt to what's left of the campaign.

Perhaps, as Connolly hinted on hia blog, further allegations are to follow, but if not, given the damage Norris has sustained in the first round of the onslaught, a knock-out may not even prove necessary.