A judge questioned the intelligence of a man this week (March 5 ) who threatened gardaí whilst still under the restrictions of a suspended sentence.
“Does this man have a modicum of intelligence after walking out of Tullamore Circuit Court with a suspended sentence?” said Judge Seamus Hughes to the solicitor of Edward Ward (22 ) of Water Tower Apartments, Retreat Road, Athlone.
“You signed a form that day. What did it say? Did you keep the peace and be of good behaviour?” the judge asked rhetorically to a mumbled answer.
Earlier, the court heard how Ward had been a passenger in a car in Willow Park, Athlone on the afternoon of February 9 that was seized by gardaí on account of its involvement in a number of road traffic offences.
“He became offensive and threatened to fight gardaí. He warned them to watch their backs,” said Inspector Aidan Minnock.
The inspector went on to explain how Ward had 13 previous convictions, the most serious of which was an 18-month prison sentence - suspended for two years - which he received for feud-related violent disorder on June 26, 2013.
“What does he mean by telling gardaí to watch their backs?” asked the judge.
“I don’t know if the Circuit Court judge will activate it [the 18-month sentence] but I’ve no choice but to send it back to him,’ he added.
Ward’s solicitor, Ms Niamh McLynn, clarified for the court the parameters of the suspended sentence as issued by Judge Hunt, and explained it was predicated on his non-involvement in feud-related issues only over the two year period.
Nonetheless, Judge Hughes was still required to pass the case up, and he remanded Ward on continuing bail to Roscommon Circuit Court on March 11 - the nearest date when Judge Hunt was sitting.
