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Wallace and Daly back violent prisoner whose 'human rights were breached'

Leon Wright, who has 84 previous convictions, was today cleared of assaulting a prison officer.

3/9/2014. Mick Walalce Dail Scenes File photo: TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie

A VIOLENT CRIMINAL has been cleared of assaulting a prison officer when he was searched for weapons.

28-year-old Leon Wright of Donore Avenue in Dublin 8 remained handcuffed and flanked by five prison staff wearing riot gear for his district court trial today.

Wright, who claimed he was beaten by prison officers, was supported in court by Independent TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly who took notes of the proceedings from the public gallery.

After the hearing concluded TDs Wallace and Daly gave a brief statement to the media.

They said they believed Leon Wright’s human rights had been breached and they said the case will be taken further.

They also called for a full investigation in relation to his treatment. The TDs also said it was a turning point for Leon Wright and “maybe for how things are done in prison”.

Credibility

After the defence raised questions over the credibility of prosecution witnesses and evidence, Judge Alan Mitchell said that having viewed the CCTV evidence in particular he was dismissing the case.

He also said that he was going to direct that the Court Service prepare a copy of the digital audio recording of the hearing and that it would be offered to Inspector of Prisons Judge Michael Reilly in the event he would like to “take further action”.

“I certainly have concerns in relation to this matter,” the judge added.

In 2014, Wright, who has 84 previous convictions, including 30 assaults, four Garda assaults, robberies and firearms offences, received a six-year sentence with the final two suspended for stabbing two people in random attacks.

In his Dublin District Court trial today he pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting prison officer Michael Kerr at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin on 7 October 2013.

Officer Kerr alleged Wright produced an object from his back passage and stabbed him in the face cutting his lip.

He and two other prison officers said Wright became aggressive when told he was about to be searched. They denied that the defendant was beaten by several officers.

He was moved from the first cell because property was broken there and prison officers feared he had weapons, the trial was told.

Witnesses alleged that Wright became more aggressive when told he was going to be searched after being initially compliant.

A nurse gave evidence that he saw lacerations inside and on the prison officer’s lip and he said that from his experience it would have been caused by being cut with a sharp object.

Prosecution witnesses

Prosecution witnesses also said Wright lashed out.

Prison officer Brian Hayes said he saw officer Kerr being struck with an object but he did not mention it in his statement to the investigating Garda.

Defence counsel Emmet Nolan put it to prosecution witnesses that Wright was stripped and “given a hiding” which was denied.

He asked the judge to note that CCTV footage showed four prison officers in riot gear outside the cell while four others dealt with Wright inside.

He argued that it was not believable that they would remain outside the cell while their colleagues were being attacked.

The court also heard that Wright was exonerated of having a weapon or attempting to stab the prison officer during an internal investigation by the Governor.

He also asked the court to note evidence about Wright having his clothing removed for the purpose of a weapon search.

He told the judge that none of the witnesses mentioned that he was bare chested when he was brought to the cell as could be seen on CCTV.

The court heard that another senior officer who had been forbidden by the prison authorities to be in the same area as Wright was present.

After Wright was cleared of the charge he gave two thumbs up to the two TDs, who had spoken to him before the trial. He was then taken out of the courtroom by prison officers.

Read: ‘Nobody wants that on their conscience’: Irish truck drivers fear deaths of migrants in trailers

Read: Woman who blinded man in scissors attack found not guilty by reason of insanity

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    Mute Brian Clancy
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:06 PM

    It’s none of your business who calls to my house, try tackling the root of the problem

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    Mute PC
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:11 PM

    @Brian Clancy: Casedemic https://youtu.be/FU3OibcindQ

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    Mute Cecil Orr
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:13 PM

    @Brian Clancy: The leader of the selfish group. The “I’m all right Jack” syndrome.

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    Mute PC
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:13 PM

    @PC: Test, test, test. Case, case, case. Scare, scare, scare. The death rate has flatlined and the government insist on shutting down the country for a asymptomatic cases in the under 45s. This is bull.

    145
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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:20 PM

    @PC: if cases go up then inevitably deaths will follow. You can’t die from it unless you’ve been a case. Eventually it will get to vulnerable and or elderly people and some will die. Case rates are a good indication of reproductive rates and forthcoming deaths.

    52
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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:32 PM

    @GrumpyAulFella: In a nursing home in wexford again, it has already gotten to older more vulnerable people

    29
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    Mute Tom Harpur Photography
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:39 PM

    @Brian Clancy: root of the problem been the selling off alcohol in pubs restaurants and off licence and supermarkets

    27
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    Mute Martin Woods
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:08 PM

    @Tom Harpur Photography: why Tom are they drinking it in the meat factories ?

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    Mute The only INFP in Ireland
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:19 PM

    @Martin Woods: House parties..

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    Mute seamus toomey
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:26 PM

    @Cecil Orr: explain how it’s ok for weddings with 50 guests to still go ahead then

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    Mute seamus toomey
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:27 PM

    @Tom Harpur Photography: I thought the root of the problem was the meat factories and poor conditions

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    Mute CarlAnne Greene
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:35 PM

    Can’t have more than 6 in my house but can eat out alongside 50 strangers in pub/restaurant. Can’t watch a game but can play it, can send kids to school but try stay home from work, put kids on a school bus ( from ty -6thyr are 16-19yrs old) but not public transport etc…it all doesn’t make a lot of sense

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:43 PM

    @CarlAnne Greene: theres a lot of mixed messaging for sure – they have lost control of the messaging and lost the support of a lot of decent people who from the very. outset abided by. strict rules but have had to watch as the. ‘authorities’ failed to get to grip with travellers. from Italy etc – failed to quaratine nursing homes. effectively , failed to get to grip with meat factory outbreaks , failed to tackle the direct provision centre. problem but are now all in. knots about pubs / schools / house parties and trying to implement pretty ineffective measures if the 3 county checkpoints are anything to go by – beyond farcical – govt need to grab bull by. horns and start asking why 6 months in we are still too slow on testing tracking and tracing effectively – and why in the name of jaysus are we still only talking about random testing in airports from NEXT WEEK – complete horseshit

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    Mute seamus toomey
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:29 PM

    @Dave Hammond: they won’t ask those very valid questions because if they did someone would be held accountable

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    Mute Pat Quinn
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:35 PM

    So I can go to a wedding indoors with 50 people but I can’t have a bbq in the garden with 6 ??

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:46 PM

    @Pat Quinn: you can

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    Mute Green Lentils
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:20 PM

    @Marie Broomfield: haha

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    Mute Badger the witness
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:24 PM

    No more than 6 people in your garden, no more than 15 for outdoor gatherings.. Not sure on the maths there.

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    Mute seamus toomey
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:30 PM

    @Badger the witness: getting married

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    Mute Newto2016
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:56 PM

    Please. If I want to have my family over for Sunday dinner, I will.

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    Mute Green Lentils
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:01 PM

    @Newto2016: I’m delighted I don’t have to ask mine over!!

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Aug 19th 2020, 9:01 AM

    @Newto2016: just redo your marriage vows

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Aug 19th 2020, 9:03 AM

    @Newto2016: just redo your marriage vows and you can invite your friends over too.

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    Mute Vladimir Macro
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:02 PM

    So you can enter a shopping centre with hundreds of people once you are wearing a mask but you cant enter a garden of any size with more than 6 people, whilst wearing a mask.

    This is not science, it’s worse, there is no logic to this

    Do they just not want us to meet up to speak about what’s going on???

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    Mute Green Lentils
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:22 PM

    @Vladimir Macro: yes that’s it. They’re outside your house with the chip they’ll be stapling into your skull in about 10….9….8…

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:10 PM

    Bringing in unenforceable restrictions, with the strict message of “please don’t do that” is not what is needed right now. County lockdowns are a bit nonsensical as well when you look at a map. Why not go with a radial lockdown from the epicenter of the cluster?

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:21 PM

    @Logan Shepherd: get a lot of compasses out and draw invisible circles around cluster sites? You’re joking right.

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:24 PM

    @GrumpyAulFella: It makes more sense than locking down entire counties. It’s the same principle as the radius of freedom we were granted during the main lockdown.

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    Mute Paul
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:16 PM

    Does that go for exploited workers in Irish meat plants or the overcrowded conditions they are forced to live in.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:22 PM

    @Paul: new measures have been brought in to control that. Too late for the current outbreak but should work going forward.

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    Mute Paul
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:08 PM

    @GrumpyAulFella: I don’t believe you, show me the proof, also too little too late for the people of Kildare, Laois and Offaly who had to restrict their movements for 2 weeks because of these meat plants owners bringing in sick workers with out any sick pay with Covid, exploiting them by putting them in cramped conditions to live now a lot of people are suffering mentally because of this, oh yeh you have 0 followers and your following 0 people you’re most likely a bot.

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    Mute seamus toomey
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:30 PM

    @GrumpyAulFella:

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    Mute Sinead Merrigan
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:43 PM

    @Paul: there is absolutely no proof that factories have purpously brought sick people into work but will agree that work conditions have significantly contributed.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:53 PM

    @Paul: you’ve 30 followers. Well done. Do you need 30 to be a human and not a bot? I’ve heard it all now.

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    Mute ianglen
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:38 PM

    My 89 year old uncle tasted his first pulled pint in nearly 6 months last week, poor man cried.
    Now looks like he will be cocooning again. Cruel..

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:53 PM

    @ianglen: shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve been bringing the aul man down to his local once every two weeks. We get a bit of grub and 4 pints, watch a bit of ball, no problem. Pub layout is great and people are kept apart. It’s ultimately people’s own decision as to what harm they want to expose themselves to. Older people will complain if they are advised to stay in and then complain if they go out and catch it in a pub. Ultimately the individual decides. If the aul man wants a pint then I’ll bring him for one and we’ll mind ourselves.

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    Mute Eamo
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:56 PM

    @ianglen: was it flat?

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    Mute Oracle Steve
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:36 PM

    They can all phukk right off. They’ve lost me with their asinine decisions. The 2KM rule was $tup|d enough but allowing indoor weddings but nobody in an 80,000 person stadium.

    You are the weakest link and I’m ignoring everything you ask. You’ve lost my respect

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    Mute Mick Costello
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:24 PM

    Joke these are pushing for a reaction and I’d say they are getting close

    50
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    Mute Bennett blaster
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:18 PM

    Mass is ok though, no enforcement of masks in public places. Pain in me ding dong with their nonsense

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    Mute Aunties
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    Aug 18th 2020, 10:52 PM

    Fred n Rosemary West had 6 in their garden

    32
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    Mute Marie Louise Ryan
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    Aug 18th 2020, 11:37 PM

    @Aunties: omg hahaha

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:44 PM

    Some people are purposeless confused! How much clearer does it have to be, no more than 6 people from outside the home and from no more than 3 household! What’s confusing?

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:55 PM

    @Marie Broomfield: they need to be nanny’d.

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:57 PM

    @Marie Broomfield: You’re post ..

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:05 PM

    @Logan Shepherd: *Your. Smartarsery withdrawn ..

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    Mute Monster Munch
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:20 PM

    The Guards will be busy

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    Mute De Rossi
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    Aug 18th 2020, 11:53 PM

    @Monster Munch: will they? Genuine question… Is it advisory or law?

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Aug 19th 2020, 6:53 AM

    @De Rossi: I think advisory at the moment but the attorney general is getting involved so that will most likely change!

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    Mute De Rossi
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    Aug 19th 2020, 9:20 AM

    @Joan Featherstone: Thanks Joan. I dont know if the buy in from the public will be there if this is only advisory.

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    Mute Real Online Career
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    Aug 18th 2020, 9:48 PM

    Bring back Phrase one, I would rather be isolated from the people crying that they can’t go to pub.

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Aug 19th 2020, 6:54 AM

    @Real Online Career: nothing to stop you isolating yourself?

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    Mute Robert Clifford
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    Aug 18th 2020, 8:24 PM

    Complete spoofer.

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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Aug 19th 2020, 12:02 AM

    Get lost

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    Mute Pádraig Ó Pravda
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    Aug 19th 2020, 7:15 AM

    NPHET – Nazi Party Hacks Exercising Tyranny

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Aug 19th 2020, 10:13 AM

    Unless you’re getting married, or having a mass.

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