Man told Laois gardaí to ‘get your f***ing hands off me’
Portlaoise District Court
A MAN with 161 previous convictions was jailed for two months when he came before Portlaoise District Court last week on public order offences.
John Paul Hand (42) from Leighsbrook Lodge, Navan, Meath pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place and to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on 3 September at Jessop Street, Portlaoise.
Judge Andrew Cody was told that at 8.15pm that evening gardaí came across the defendant in a very drunken state. When they approached him, he became aggressive and argumentative towards them and said “get your f***ing hands off me. You’re not going to arrest me.” The court heard that the defendant is currently serving a prison sentence and is due for release on 2 February next year.
The man’s barrister said that his client is appealing for leniency.
He explained: “He is contrite and apologetic. He’s had a long-running addiction to alcohol. He is anxious to address his on-going addiction on his release. He’s been in contact with an alcohol addiction support group and is asking the court not to impose a further custodial sentence. It might be better for society if he is not in prison.” Noting the amount of previous convictions Judge Cody said the defendant had previously been given “a plethora of probation bonds and community service orders”, of which none seem to have made a difference to him.
He went on to convict Mr Hand of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and imposed a two-month sentence to commence on the expiration of his current sentence in February.
He took the other matter of being drunk in public into consideration and fixed recognisance in the event the defendant wished to appeal the court’s decision.
