Laois man defaced garda car and holding cell at local garda station
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A MAN brought €400 to court last week to pay for the cleaning of a garda car and a holding cell at Abbeyleix Garda Station.
Vasek Stanisilv (35), Main Street, Portlaoise appeared before Portlaoise District Court where he pleaded guilty to being intoxicated and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at James Fintan Lalor Avenue, Portlaoise, to criminally damaging a garda car and to the criminal damage of a holding cell at Abbeyleix Garda Station on 11 March.
Garda Sgt JJ Kirby said at 6.15pm that evening while on mobile patrol, gardaí saw a man acting in a very aggressive manner where a green bus was parked on James Fintan Lalor Avenue. He said passengers were leaving the bus due to the man’s behaviour. When they approached the man, he began abusing the gardaí.
When he was arrested and placed in the back of a garda car, he began spitting and smeared blood around it. When he was placed in a holding cell in the garda station, Sgt Kirby said Mr Stanisilv spat around it, smeared blood, phlegm and bodily fluids on the walls and floor. He also stuffed a bed blanket down a urinal and urinated on it.
He said the cost of cleaning the garda car was €150 and €200 to clean up the holding cell.
Defending solicitor Victoria Kingston said that her client “accepts that his behaviour was absolutely appalling at the time and is holding his hands up for it.” “He’d be better off putting his hands in his pockets than holding his hands up. How much has he got in court,” asked Judge Andrew Cody?
Ms Kingston said: “€400. He’s 34 years old and works part-time as a welder.’’ Judge Cody went on to convict Mr Stanisilv of both charges of criminal damage and fined him €250 for the damage to the garda car and €500 for the damage to the holding cell. He took the other two offences into consideration.
