A MAN who verbally abused a garda who was trying to arrest him on a Bandon street later soiled the floor of a custody cell, a court heard.

Damien Doherty (40), of Ballyloskey, Cardonagh, Co Donegal resisted arrest and had to be handcuffed on the ground so that gardaí would not get injured or assaulted.

Mr Doherty pleaded guilty at Bandon District Court to criminal damage, resisting arrest, refusing to give his name and address, being drunk in a public place and using or engaging in abusive, insulting or threatening words or behaviour.

Sgt Eimear O’Connell told Judge Joanne Carroll that on April 17th last gardaí received an anonymous call about a drunk male causing a disturbance on South Main Street.

‘Gda Brian Blake, Gda Ahearne and Gda Cahalane met the defendant at the scene and observed him threatening a group of people who were on the street. He was extremely drunk and agitated and there was a strong smell of alcohol from him,’ said Sgt O’Connell.

‘Gda Blake approached him and he walked away. When he attempted to talk to him he walked away again and said: ‘You eat babies Epstein Island c***’. He also told Gda Blake to f*** off.’

The court heard that Mr Doherty resisted arrest. ‘He shouted at them: ‘I’m Irish where are you f***ing from?’

Following his arrest, he was conveyed to Bandon Garda Station and while in a custody cell he defecated on the floor. The court heard that he has 29 previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Éamonn Fleming said his client had been drinking all day and was ‘extremely drunk’ and has very little recollection of the events.

‘His bowel movement in the garda cell was due more to the drink he had consumed rather than being intentional,’ said Mr Fleming, who added that his client had brought €250 in compensation for the cleaning of the cell.

Judge Carroll said Mr Doherty was ‘disrespectful in the extreme’ to Gda Blake and then he went and damaged a garda cell.

Mr Fleming added that his client, who is separated and has two children, works as a plasterer and travels all over the country for work. He was staying locally at the time of this incident.

‘He is supporting his children and sees them every weekend,’ Mr Fleming said. ‘He hasn’t committed any real offences in the last 10 years. Drink is a major issue and there is no question that he has a drink problem.’

Judge Carroll said there was no point asking for a probation report due to the transient nature of Mr Doherty’s work and also asked what he intends to do about his drink problem.

She sentenced him to three months in prison for resisting arrest, which she suspended for 18 months, and took into consideration the two public order charges and the criminal damage charge.

Judge Carroll also sentenced him to three months in prison for refusing to give his name and address which she also suspended for 18 months.

‘You’re a mature man and you need to deal with your alcohol issues. Your behaviour to gardaí was absolutely unacceptable and outrageous,’ said Judge Carroll.