Laois garda fractured finger in attempt to restrain intoxicated defendant
Image for illustration purposes
A GARDA fractured one of his fingers while attempting to restrain a highly intoxicated man who had been offering to start fights in the Top Square in Portlaoise.
That’s what garda sgt Kevin O’Sullivan told Judge Susan Fay at last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court when Kevin Conroy, Glenfield, Timahoe Road, Portlaoise came before her on public order offences.
The defendant pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in public, engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and resisting arrest.
Sgt O’Sullivan said that on 24 December, gardaí came across the defendant in a highly intoxicated state “offering to start fights. When gardaí approached him, he told them to ‘f**k off’ on numerous occasions. While actively resisting arrest, a garda fractured his finger during the incident.” Defence solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her 21-year-old client “is taking the matter very seriously. He is not a man who usually drinks. He works as a contractor on the railway line. He is very remorseful and apologetic for the nuisance he caused on the night. He has €1,000 to offer by way of compensation to the gardaí who had to deal with him. He has no previous convictions and I can assure the court he won’t ever be back before it again.” Judge Susan Fay enquired why the defendant had not been charged with other offences after being told a garda had sustained injuries.
Sgt O’Sullivan said that the injury sustained by the garda was because of Mr Conroy resisting arrest and not by way of design.
Ms Fitzpatrick said that Mr Conroy was hoping in the future to travel to Australia and was asking the court to leave him without a conviction.
Judge Fay ordered the €1,000 be handed over to Sgt O’Sullivan and remanded Mr Conroy on continuing bail to the 16 June sitting of the court for finalisation of the case.
In the meantime, he was instructed to engage with the probation services for an assessment to carry out community service, take part in the restorative justice programme and to take part in the Athy Alternative Alcohol Programme.
