Portlaoise Court: Man abused gardaí after using toilet in local garda station
Portlaoise Courthouse
BEFORE leaving the garda station in Portlaoise after a man sought permission to use the toilet there, he turned on gardaí calling one “a stupid c**t” and another “a fat bastard”.
That was the evidence given at Portlaoise District Court, when Gary Cripps, 43 Oakleaf Place, Portlaoise was charged with engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and being intoxicated at Portlaoise Garda Station on 8 June.
He was also charged with being intoxicated in a public place at Oakleaf Place on 28 January.
He pleaded guilty to the offences.
Giving evidence on the 28 January matter, Sergeant JJ Kirby said that at 2.07am that morning, Mr Cripps was found in a very drunken state and was a danger to himself and to others and had to be arrested for his own safety.
Regarding the issue at the garda station, Sgt Kirby said it was 5.50am in the morning when the defendant entered the station requesting to use the toilet.
When he was leaving he became abusive towards the gardaí at the front desk while other members of the public were present.
He called one garda, “a stupid c**t” and another “a fat bastard” and had to be arrested.
“He’s not proud of his actions. He drank to excess on the night,” said defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick.
She said her 24-year-old client suffers with a medical condition and works part-time in the security trade, when it’s available to him.
She said that while Mr Cripps had five previous convictions for road traffic offences, it was the first time that he was before the courts on public order offences.
Judge Susan Fay referred the defendant to the Probation Service and asked that a report be prepared on him for the next sitting of the case on 24 March.
