FUNFAIR DISMISSAL | 

Dublin clown arrested for selling balloons to kids in city centre

Father-of-four Marcel Stanescu (33) was in “grey area” because he was getting “donations” for the balloons, but was prosecuted for casual trading

4th October 2022

A clown was arrested for selling balloons to children on the street in Dublin city centre without a licence.

Father-of-four Marcel Stanescu (33) was in a “grey area” because he was getting “donations” in a box for the balloons, but he was prosecuted for casual trading, a court heard.

Mr Stanescu, with an address at Gardiner Street in the north inner city, pleaded guilty.

Judge Bryan Smyth applied the Probation Act, leaving him without a criminal record.

Dublin District Court heard the incident took place at Henry Street in the north city centre on August 5 this year.

Gardaí were on beat patrol on the street at 4.30pm when they came across the accused selling balloons.

He was seen selling them “for coins and cash,” the investigating garda said.

Mr Stanescu was unable to produce a casual trading licence when it was demanded, the court heard.

He had no previous convictions.

The accused was from Romania and had been in Ireland for two years, his solicitor Philip Hannon said.

He had been getting mainly casual work since he came here and was now employed as a general operative in logistics.

Mr Stanescu was a clown as a “pastime,” Mr Hannon said.

“That was where the balloons came in,” the solicitor explained, telling the court the accused had been in a “grey area”.

Mr Stanescu was entertaining, there were young children present and he had a box where donations were made, Mr Hannon said.

He asked the judge to be as lenient as he could in the circumstances.

The judge dismissed the charge under the Probation of Offenders Act, leaving the accused without a recorded criminal conviction.

Mr Stanescu was not required to address the court during the brief hearing.

The charge against the accused was under Section 3 of the Casual Trading Act 1995.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​