A man who got drunk at a house party on Connaught Street and tried to pick a fight with the tidying up Gardai was lucky to avoid a jail sentence in the District Court this week (July 8 ).
“If you interfere with the Garda Siochana in the course of their duty in future, you can expect no less than five months in the Midlands Prison,” Judge John Neilan told Peter Jones (23 ) of College Park, Athlone when convicting him of failing to follow a garda direction and refusing to give his name.
The court had been told how Gardai were called to a “noisy house” at 5am on April 20 and, after asking the tenants to calm it down, were abused by the defendant who then followed them out of the apartments continuing the tirade.
He refused to comply with the garda's direction to go home and was consequently arrested.
“Mr Jones and the garda got off on the wrong foot,” said his solicitor, Mr Padraig Quinn, in his defence.
He pointed out that though Jones is presently unemployed, he is doing a FETAC course and some Leaving Cert subjects.
Judge Neilan accepted this and fined Jones €500 for the public order conviction.
