A YOUNG man who almost fell into the Bandon river while trying to evade arrest from the gardaí was vulgar and insulting to the arresting garda and screaming in his face, a court recently heard.
Kian Ryan (19) of 45 Richmond Court, Bandon pleaded guilty at Bandon District Court to using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, being drunk in a public place, and the obstruction of a peace officer on November 25th last.
Sgt Trish O’Sullivan told the court that at 11am that morning, Gda Eoghan Hodnett saw the defendant by the steps of the bogs in a drunken condition and being held up by his friends.
‘He became abusive to Gda Hodnett when he approached him and said: ‘F**k off ye c**t.’ They tried to arrest him but he stumbled into the bogs to evade arrest and almost fell into the Bandon river,’ said Sgt O’Sullivan.
‘He was eventually arrested. He continued to be abusive to the gardaí while en route to the garda station and was screaming into Gda Hodnett’s face.’
Judge James McNulty was informed that a probation report had been carried out on Mr Ryan, while defence solicitor Myra Dinneen said her client has a mentor to help him and asked if the matter could be put back.
However, the judge declined the request and said that offences were committed while Mr Ryan was out on bail and under the supervision of the probation services.
‘If I was in his position I’d be well behaved and wouldn’t be vulgar and offensive to a garda at 11am in the morning,’ remarked Judge McNulty.
Ms Dinneen said it was ‘atrocious behaviour’ which her client apologises for.
‘There is a lot of vulnerability with him. He was doing well and is back at work and has engaged with the probation services,’ she said. But Judge McNulty said ‘not in the way they would like’ and noted he has lots of support and patience had been extended to him. The court also heard that he is on bail from the circuit court on other charges.
The judge convicted and sentenced him to four months in prison on the obstruction charge and 60 days on the more serious of the public order charges.
He said those sentences will have to be served and would not suspend them, while he also convicted and fined him €300 for being drunk in a public place.
Recognisances for an appeal were fixed in his own bond of €100 and an independent surety of €1,000, with half of that to be provided in cash. He said the court was not happy to release him on bail when these offences were committed while he was on bail.
He also said he wasn’t prepared to accept the defendant’s girlfriend as a surety, but Ms Dinneen argued that she works fulltime and could be a good influence on him.
Judge McNulty agreed for her to be a surety and warned her that if her boyfriend fails to show up for his appeal or misbehaves, she is liable for the full €1,000.
