A 50-year-old man told a court he was “bribed” with the offer of home cooked bacon and cabbage to go to his mother’s house and cut the back lawn.

He insisted he ate the meal on the porch and believed he did not breach an order not to enter her home.

Donal Cosgrave of West End, Rathmore, Co Kerry, was arrested for breach of contravening a barring order on July 1st.

Mr Cosgrave was willing to produce the shoes with the grass still on them, to back-up his story, Killarney District Court was told on Tuesday.

Mr Cosgrave of West End, Rathmore, Co Kerry, was arrested for breach of contravening a barring order on July 1st.

The order, made in Killarney last April, was that he should not attend the home of his mother.

Mr Cosgrave said he only called to his mother’s home at Woodlawn Estate, Killarney because she offered to cook him bacon and cabbage if he cut the grass.

In effect it amounted to a bribe because no-one could resist his mother’s cooking, he said.

“Was the bacon and cabbage to be given before or after the grass cutting?” Judge James O’Connor enquired.

Mr Cosgrave said it was “before”. He said: “You have to have a full stomach for hard work... I did not enter the house, I ate the bacon and cabbage on the back porch.

“I did not go into the house.”

“And mom gave me some mustard, and a little bit of dessert,” he added.

The court was previously told Mr Cosgrave was originally from the US and has health problems.

He had arrived at his solicitor’s office at 8.30am with a pair of sneakers and grass deposits on the runners and he was not sneaky and was telling the truth, he said.

Padraig O’Connell, solicitor, told the court the shoes were in an evidence bag, in court.

Judge O’Connor adjourned the matter to 21st next but warned his solicitor that Mr Cosgrave “has to stay away completely from the house.”