COMEDIAN DAVID MCSAVAGE appeared in the Dublin District Court this afternoon charged with the non-payment of his TV licence.
In advance of the hearing McSavage had said that he would refuse to pay his licence as the content on RTÉ wasn’t of sufficient standard to justify doing so.
He had said he was willing to go to jail to back up this assertion.
The comedian’s case was heard among a slew of other defendants who were summoned to court for non-payment of their own licences.
The charge concerning McSavage was read out to court: that the TV licence inspector in question attended a premises at Kingsland Parade, Portobello, Dublin 8, on 7 May, 2015, where McSavage admitted possession of a TV set without a licence.
The inspector said that McSavage stands €115 in arrears, but that a licence had since been taken out at the property on 31 March of this year.
“If it please the court, I didn’t pay because I have grave concerns of the use that RTÉ makes of taxpayers’ money,” McSavage replied to Judge John O’Neill.
I have expressed my concerns in other forms, but I have been advised to pay the fine at this time.
Judge O’Neill asked McSavage if he understood that he has no legal justification for non-payment of his licence. McSavage replied that he did understand this.
The matter was then adjourned to 16 June when the comedian will be expected to have paid his arrears or run the risk of conviction.
Confusion
However, speaking outside the court, McSavage denied that he has since paid for a TV licence.
“Well obviously not that’s why I got summonsed to court,” he said. “I didn’t take one out on the 31 March.”
I don’t have a licence, no.
If I had a licence why am I paying arrears? I haven’t got a TV licence, unless Ray D’Arcy bought it for me, because he said he was going to.
I didn’t know I had a licence. I don’t have a licence.
When asked if he would indeed now pay the €115 in arrears that he owes the comedian replied: “Yeah, I’m going to pay the arrears, fuck it like.”
I’ve had enough of this shit, the point is made so let’s move on.
It was procedural in there. I’ve got a charity gig tonight, if I say I’m not going to pay it does that mean I’m going to end up in prison and I won’t be able to attend? I didn’t know.
When it was put to him that he had accepted the fact that he did in fact have a TV licence, McSavage replied that he didn’t understand what he had agreed to.
When told that he could make an application to the court to clarify matters he replied “no, no, I’ll leave it yeah”.
“I actually feel like not paying it now,” he said.
When asked would he return to the court on 16 June he said “I don’t know”.
When asked would he pay his arrears he replied “I don’t know”.
Comment are closed as the case concerns an ongoing legal matter
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