A man who was arrested on three consecutive days last week, and who threatened a garda inspector with death, was escorted by three gardaí to another fortnight’s custody from the District Court this week (January 16 ).
“You’ll end up dead like Alan Ryan in the IRA! What’ve I done to you? Hah? What? F**k off, yiz b*****ds, get off me,” roared Gerry Fallon (54 ), of Grange, Curaghboy, Co Roscommon to Inspector Nicholas Farrell, and a number of his colleagues as he was led away.
This level of behaviour surprised noone in the court, as earlier Fallon had to be severely reprimanded in the dock by Judge Seamus Hughes, after he began to get agitated and shout at somebody in the body of the court whom he believed was “sneerin’ and laughin’ at me”.
Inspector Farrell had already explained how Fallon was before the court on an assault charge - to which he pleaded not guilty - and had been arrested in Tullamore on January 3 “the day of his release” from a nine-month sentence handed down in July.
“Judge, he was then arrested [around Athlone] on the 8th, 10th, 11th, and 12th of January,” said the inspector, who also pointed out that Fallon had 214 previous convictions, and 26 bench warrants.
The inspector, Fallon’s solicitor Mr Paul Connellan told the court he had been instructed to apply for bail.
The inspector immediately suggested that if the judge was of a mind to grant this, he would be looking for an independent surety of €1,000 and a ban on Fallon within the town boundaries of Athlone.
At this stage, Fallon began promising that he would turn up at his next appointed court date, and that if he was remanded back to custody, he was fearful for the safety of a number of domestic items he said he had bought since his release from prison.
Judge Hughes was hoping to remand Fallon in custody until the first court in February, but realised he could not do this without the consent of the defendant.
Instead, he remanded Fallon in custody to appear at Harristown District Court - attached to Castlerea Prison - on January 29 instead.
At this point the defendant began to lose his temper and act up. Mr Connellan suggested an updated psychiatric report, and Judge Hughes agreed.
