A Derry-born judge, who described Tyrone people as "typically thick" during a court sitting, has been told to apologise for the jibe.
Monaghan District Court Judge, Sean McBride, who lives in Inishowen, made the controversial remark after mistaken identity brought the wrong woman to his courtroom.
Sarah McGrath, 22, from Donaghmore, was wrongly summonsed to court because her det
ails matched another woman's.
Judge McBride told her she showed "typical thickness from Tyrone people" because she had only sterling to pay 50 euro in bail money.
Legal technicalities meant she had to pay to get the case thrown out.
Sinn Fein's West Tyrone MP., Pat Doherty called for Judge McBride to make a "full clarification" of his comments or "issue a full apology" to the people of Tyrone.
"He has abused his position in this instance and it is not the first time he has done so.
"A person in his position should be beyond reproach in terms of making subjective remarks about any person or place because that is not his role."
West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff said he would write the Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, on the matter.
Controversial comments made from the bench have landed Judge McBride in hot water in the past. Last year he apologised for telling a court he would use a shotgun to "blow the head off" anyone who broke into his home, when sentencing a man for robbery.
The full article contains 242 words and appears in Journal Tuesday Derry Edit newspaper.
