Two drunken Irishmen were arresting in the US for stealing a flag, but not before they took pictures to prove it.
John Patrick Kerrigan (above right), 33, and James Mulroy (above left), 28, both from Dublin, were charged with vandalism and misdemeanour theft after they jumped out of a taxi and made a dart for an American flag – as you do when you’re drunk and in the US – back in January.
We brought you the story back when the lads were facing up to a year in jail for their actions, so think of this as an update.
The pair cut the flag down from a flagpole outside a building on Summerset Hill Drive in Knoxville, Tennessee. Before they were caught the duo managed to take a few photos of themselves with the flag wrapped around them.
Their lawyer then had the bright idea to tell the court that the lads stole the flag and took pictures of themselves draped in it because, “that’s how much they love America”.
The judge must have ‘a bit of Irish in him’ (sure they all do) as the pair escaped a jail sentence and now they only have to pay $2,200 to replace the flag. According to Irish Central, if they pay that amount along with court costs and behave themselves for the next year, the charges will be dropped as part of a plea deal.
For some unknown reason, reports at the time suggested that the pair stole the flag after being ordered to do so by Colin Farrell, who was actually in town at the time.
When asked if this was true, both Kerrigan and Mulroy replied like true Irishmen saying: “Colin who?”
