Irish judge sorry for suggesting social welfare is a ‘Polish charity’

An Irish district court judge has apologised to the polish community after she called the social welfare system a Polish charity.

Judge Mary Devins put her foot deeply in ‘it’ after she made a certain comment while sitting in a Castlebar court last Friday.

Judge Devins was hearing the case of a man who had been racially abused after an Irish plumber called the man, who was working as a security guard at the time, a ‘fat Polish f*cker’.

The case was originally heard several months ago, but it had been adjourned until last Friday so that the accused could save up and pay €1,000 to a Polish charity in lieu of a conviction and a fine.

This was when ‘it’ hit the fan for Judge Devins. During the hearing last Friday, someone piped up and asked whether there actually was a Polish charity in Ireland. Seems like a fair enough question to ask, however, Judge Devins remarked: “A Polish charity? There is. It’s called the social welfare.” She must have forgotten she was hearing the case of a racially abused Polish person.

Judge Devins issued a statement yesterday, almost a week since the incident occurred, which said her “recent comment in court was made in the context of – and alluding to – another recent, violent, alcohol-fuelled incident”.

The incident she was speaking of involved “several defendants of Polish origin who were all recipients of social welfare payments”, she said.

According to the statement, it was “intended to be specific to that incident and occurrence and was never intended to offend any community, or members of any community.”

“If insult was taken from my comment I apologise for same.”